


Family First

by Thal



Series: This Hunting Life [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angry Reader, Dean uses Castiel as a spy, F/M, Family, Jealous Dean Winchester, Sam gets bit, Sam is not a fan of kids in the bunker, Sweet Dean, Tommy on a sugar rush, Worried Dean, chimera, reader has a secret, snooping Sam, who is Tommy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-05-03 11:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14567589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thal/pseuds/Thal
Summary: The Reader makes a secret phone call without realizing Sam is eavesdropping. Sam over hears something about a guy named Tommy, and when Dean starts worrying the Reader is on a hunt, Sam tells him about Tommy.





	1. Tommy

**Author's Note:**

> (This story arc is all guaranteed fluffy endings. I kind of need that right now. I've got four chapters planned, but more may get added later.)
> 
> [Y/N] - your name  
> [Y/LN] - your last name  
> [Y/NN] - your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

Dean Winchester ran a hand down his tired face as he fell back in his chair with a huff. He and his younger brother, Sam, had been researching cases for the last two days, but coming up empty. [Y/N] [Y/LN] was in New England on some personal matter that she refused to discuss with them, aside from telling them it was related to her late family. Dean found her secrecy worrisome considering her last big secret involved a demon stalking her, but said nothing to her about it beyond a gruff goodbye with a chaste kiss on her cheek before watching her drive off in the '73 Impala he had fixed up for her. Dean groaned.  
"Dude, [Y/N] will be back tomorrow. Whatever she went up there to deal with, she'll tell you about it then. She told you that." Sam lifted his head from the site he was reading on his laptop to look at his brother. "Just relax. This is why she worries about telling you things. She knows you pretty well."  
"Not helping, Sammy." Dean rolled his eyes. "You think she's hiding something, too?"  
"Yeah." He sighed. "She seemed a little on edge right before she left."  
"Damn it! I knew I should've gone with her." Dean scowled down at the table, his green eyes narrowing. "It better not be another demon."  
Sam ran a hand through his long hair and cleared his throat. Dean raised an eyebrow.  
"OK, spit it out, man. What aren't you telling me, Sammy?" Dean leaned forward.  
"I overheard her on the phone the day before she left. It ain't anything supernatural." Sam hesitated, uncomfortable with the little bit of knowledge he could offer his brother because of how he learned it. "I heard her moving about at three in the morning, and I got up to check on her as I thought she was having her nightmares again. She'd gone into the kitchen and I heard her making a call to someone. She was talking about finding some guy named Tommy. She wanted to be sure, something about a test. Anyway, she kept the call short, and that's all I was able to hear. When she hung up, I took off to my room. Did not want her finding out I listened in on her, she'd have been pissed."  
"Who the Hell is Tommy?" Dean grumbled, his face darkening. "Whoever he is, he ain't getting her. She's with me now."  
"Wow, Dean. Do you really think [Y/N] would do that to you?" Sam furrowed his brow at his brother. "C'mon, man, you remember how that worked for you last time you accused her of cheating."  
"That was a low blow, Sam." Dean gritted out, his jaw tensed. "We had a damn demon messing around with our heads, and you know that!"  
"Dude, calm down! I'm just saying this Tommy is probably an old friend, maybe a hunting contact that needs help." Sam rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Give her a chance."  
"Yeah, I know." Dean exhaled slowly, his jaw still set. "But I'll feel better when she's back home."  
\--------------------  
"You're sure the results are accurate?" [Y/N] asked, her [E/C] eyes wide as she read the printout in her trembling hands.  
"I tested the blood samples twice. The results are the same. The DNA is a match." The blonde woman in the lab coat lightly touched [Y/N]'s shoulder. "It is definitely Tommy. What's the next move, do you want me to make the call?"  
[Y/N] pushed a [H/L] strand of errant [H/C] hair behind her ear, still staring at the paper in disbelief. She licked her lips nervously, worried about what this meant for her and Dean. She could not hide it from him, or Sam, much longer. Still, [Y/N] knew it was Tommy now, and she really could not see making any other choice.  
"Yeah, make the call." [Y/N] nodded. "And, thanks, Anne. I owe you big time."  
"No way." Anne shook her head with a small grin. "You know what your mother did for me. She died before I could ever repay her. Doing her girl a solid is the least I could do."  
\--------------------  
Dean prayed to Castiel in the solitude of his own room. He did not need Sam knowing what he was planning. More correctly, he did not need Sam complaining about it. He hoped he was wrong, and he would gladly apologize to [Y/N] if he was, but he wanted to be sure whatever secret surrounded the mysterious Tommy did not take [Y/N] from him.  
"What is it, Dean?" Castiel's gruff voice came from over his shoulder.  
Dean turned to face his angel friend, his face somber.  
"[Y/N] is in New England. I want you to keep an eye on her, keep her safe." Dean sighed. "Please, Cas. Just watch over her for me."  
"Is she in danger? Why did you let her go alone, Dean?" Castiel asked, his brow creased.  
"I hope not, but I don't know. She insisted on doing whatever she's doing on her own." Dean shook his head. "Just keep an eye on her. And maybe don't let her see you."  
Castiel cocked his head slightly to the left. Dean groaned.  
"Look, Cas, it's not that I don't trust her. But this Tommy guy is another story. I'd just feel better if you had her back, since I can't."  
Castiel looked disapprovingly at Dean, but sighed and, with a curt nod, disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.  
\----------------  
[Y/N] frowned, she could feel she was being watched, even now in her motel room, but she did not see anyone tailing her. She sighed, knowing full well who it was.  
"Castiel? You may as well show yourself." She crossed her arms and sat on the bed. The dark haired angel appeared before her, looking very much like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. [Y/N] shook her head with a smirk. "Damn it, Dean."  
"He only wanted you to be safe, [Y/N]." Castiel stated plainly.  
"Safe from what? I'm not working a case." [Y/N] frowned. She thought she made that clear when she told Dean in was a matter related to her late family. Castiel's appearance made her question Dean's understanding of the matter. Was it possible that he thought she would lie to him about working a case? She looked at the angel, hoping for some clarification.  
"Dean wanted me to keep you safe from someone named Tommy." The angel's blue eyes were wide with concern. "He was afraid he might hurt you."  
"Tommy?" [Y/N] rolled her [E/C] eyes with a snort. "I don't know what Dean thinks he knows about Tommy, or how he even heard about him, but he's got it all wrong. And he's gonna get an earful when I get back."  
"He was worried Tommy might have dishonorable intentions." Castiel tried to defend Dean, but [Y/N]'s scoffing laugh made him stop and reconsider.  
"Castiel, maybe you should go with me to pick up Tommy in the morning. It would be good to have your help on the trip back." [Y/N] grinned. Castiel tilted his head to the side, confusion written in his raised brow. "Tommy is coming back to the bunker with me."  
"Do Dean and Sam know about this? I don't think they will be pleased with you bringing a stranger into the bunker without their approval." Castiel cautioned [Y/N].  
"Honestly, neither do I. Although, probably not for the reason you're are thinking." She laughed. "But they'll get over it. They don't really get a choice on this."  
Castiel just blinked his blue eyes in confusion.  
\-----------------  
"Seriously? You sent Cas to spy on her, and she caught him? Dude, you are so dead." Sam laughed before taking another sip of his beer. "Did he at least get you anything on this Tommy?"  
"[Y/N] forbid him to discuss Tommy with me." Dean rolled his eyes. "She knows I was jealous. So now she's torturing me until she gets back."  
"Serves you right, you know. You shouldn't spy on her...or send Cas to do it."  
"Spare me the lecture, Sammy. Cas already took care of it for you." Dean scowled at his empty beer bottle on the table. "You ain't exactly innocent here, [Y/NN] just hasn't found out you were spying on her first."  
Dean stood, grabbing his empty bottle and strode out of the room.  
"Wait, you're not gonna tell her, right? Dude?" Sam bolted from the table and raced down the hall. "Dean?!"  
\------------------  
"Dean? Sam? I'm back!" [Y/N]'s voice rang down the hall, reaching the Winchester brothers in the kitchen. "We really need to talk."  
Sam and Dean both stiffened and exchanged glances.  
"I thought you weren't gonna tell her," hissed Sam, leaning over the table so Dean could hear.  
"I didn't say a word. I haven't even called her since talking to Cas." Dean whispered back. "He must've told her. Sorry, man. This is gonna suck."  
"[Y/N]!" As [Y/N] stepped into the kitchen, Sam jumped to his feet, his hands partially raised in apologetic surrender. "I didn't meant to eavesdrop, it was an accident, I swear. I only told Dean about the call because he was worried you might be on a hunt."  
"You're the reason my boyfriend sent the angel to spy on me?" [Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes narrowed and she jabbed a finger at the taller Winchester brother's chest. "Samuel Winchester, you do not go making your brother jealous of other guys because you only partially hear one side of a call. And how dare you go eavesdropping on me! If it was an accident, you would've walked away as soon as you realized I was having a private conversation. You stayed and listened. That was a choice you made. Not cool, not at all."  
"Uh, sweetheart?" Dean interjected, feeling a bit guilty watching [Y/N] laying into Sam. At least until she whirled around to face him, then he immediately regretted it.  
"And you, Dean Winchester! What the Hell are you doing sending Castiel to freaking spy on me? You have no right. I told you I was going explain everything when I got back, but no. You don't trust me, or you're worrying about me, or you're just plain jealous. Or, like this time, I get the whole damn trifecta." She shook her head and stepped away from him. "You seriously need to get your shit figured out."  
Dean nodded, then licked his lips. He stepped towards [Y/N], wrapping his arms around her. She protested in annoyance for a moment before wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.  
"You're lucky I love you, you damn idiot." [Y/N] chuckled as Dean gave her another squeeze. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you, too." She placed a soft kiss on his lips before stepping away. "But I have to talk to you both about something."  
"About Tommy?" Dean asked. [Y/N] nodded, and Dean fell back into his seat.  
"Calm down, he's not an old boyfriend or anything." [Y/N] reassured him. "I want you guys to meet him."  
"When?" Sam asked.  
"Now," sighed [Y/N]. "I brought him back with me. He's going to stay here." Dean's jaw set and his shoulders squared. "Relax, Dean, he's not roaming loose, I have Cas watching him..."  
"CAS!" Dean bellowed as he jumped to his feet. "Get your feathery ass in here!"  
"Dean, stop yelling. If you wake..." [Y/N] started to step to him when Castiel appeared beside Dean, holding a sleeping toddler in tractor pajamas. "If you wake Tommy, you're a dead man." Dean and Sam stared at the child as [Y/N] took him from Cas. Tommy gave a little sigh and snuggled against [Y/N] as she lightly kissed the top of his wavy brown hair. She smiled awkwardly at the brothers who still stared at the boy dumbstruck. "He's my nephew. He was at the sitter's the night my brother and sister-in-law were killed. I didn't want to say anything until I saw him with my own eyes, in case it wasn't Tommy."  
"Well, if he's family." Sam said at last, staring at the toddler. "It's not like he takes up much space. But the bunker isn't much of a place for a kid, [Y/N]."  
"Sammy's right, [Y/NN]." Dean gently laid a hand on the sleeping boy's head. "Guess we're just gonna have to make it work."


	2. Toddler Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been two days, and Sam and Dean have some regrets about having a toddler in the bunker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, Dean likes to stuff the kid with candy to keep him quiet.

The shill shriek of an angry toddler rang through the halls of the bunker as [Y/N] [Y/LN] struggled to keep the squirming child in the bed for his nap. Tommy did not have much in the way of toys, but [Y/N] had placed every single one of them in the bed with him to try to keep the small boy in the bed until he tired out, but Tommy's energy was still going strong.  
"I'm gonna kill Dean for giving you all that candy." [Y/N] grumbled, trying her best not to raise her voice at the hyper child who was again trying to crawl to the edge of the bed. [Y/N] snagged him around the waist and hauled the kicking, shrieking toddler into her lap and folding her arms around him in a bear hug. "Alright, fine. Another story it is."  
\--------------------  
Dean Winchester groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He snagged the glass of whiskey from the table and slung the liquid back in a single swallow.  
"This was a colossal mistake." The eldest Winchester brother grimaced, as another high pitched shriek echoed through the hall and into the library.  
"I said this was no place for a kid, but no one listened to me." Sam Winchester complained as he searched online articles for possible hunts. "I already had to confiscate his crayons. The kid scribbled on the diagrams of sealing runes."  
"It's been two days, and everything Tommy touches is sticky. Everything." Dean sighed as he drew out the last word.  
"Well, it you weren't giving him candy every time he comes up to you, maybe the bunker wouldn't be so sticky." The younger Winchester rolled his eyes at Dean from over the screen of his laptop.  
"Hey, it keeps him from crying."  
"And napping."  
"Bitch."  
"Jerk." Sam groaned a bit dramatically, running his hand through his shoulder length hair. "Look, I get that we're kind of stuck with Tommy as long as [Y/N] is here. I'm just not overjoyed about it."  
"She's doing her best, Sammy. [Y/NN] is trying to keep him in her room with her as much as she can. She knows he's getting in the way when he's out here." Dean frowned, ignoring Sam's implication that [Y/N] might consider leaving now that Tommy was part of the picture. "She knows we ain't exactly thrilled about this, and she's trying to keep him reigned in so we don't have to deal with him."  
"I know, I get it. Tommy's family and she couldn't just leave him. But having a kid here is turning into a nightmare." Sam closed his laptop and shook his head.  
"You're just saying that because he bit you yesterday." Dean raised an eyebrow. "Why would you even put your finger that close to his mouth anyway?"  
"Because you fed him caramel corn and he had a piece of kernel between his tooth and gums. He was fussy." Sam stared at his thumb. "I was just trying to keep him from crying again."  
Dean chuckled at the memory of walking in to find Sam muttering and shaking his hand in the air and glaring sideways at the crying toddler. Sam had instinctively yelped loudly, startling the child and setting off his waterworks before Dean walked in. Dean picked up Tommy and fed the little boy nearly half a bag of gummy bears to cheer him up, while Sam eyed him warily. Of course, after eating so many gummy bears, the kid went wild and [Y/N] spent several hours chasing Tommy around the bunker, cursing Dean's name under her breath until Tommy at last crashed and fell asleep curled up in a ball under the table in the war room. Dean had carried the sleeping terror to [Y/N]'s room so that she could tuck him into bed. [Y/N] was so exhausted, she fell asleep next to Tommy only minutes after tucking him in. Dean stood in the doorway, watching the peaceful scene for a moment more. After the chaos that was Tommy on a sugar rush, Dean felt the toddler was adorably serene cuddled up to [Y/N] as they slept. He just was not about to admit it out loud. Dean looked back at Sam with a smile he did not realize he wore.  
"Maybe Tommy would be less cranky if he had a proper place to play. Somewhere we weren't telling him no all the time." Dean ruminated. Sam looked at him, perplexed. Dean nodded. "Yeah, we could turn one of the extra rooms into a playroom for him. Clear it out, put some toys and stuff in there."  
"And a crib he can't get out of?" Sam ask, tilting his head to the door were Tommy stood timidly peeking at them from around the doorway.  
Dean turned his head and offered the toddler a grin. He leaned toward the small child and beckoned him with a wave of his hand.  
"Hey, buddy. C'mere." Dean opened his arms as Tommy tentatively approached, keeping his wide brown eyes warily on Sam. When Tommy reached his knee, Dean scooped the boy up in his arms and sat him on the table so he could look the child in the eye. "So where's your Auntie, does she know you're awake?"  
"Sleepin'." Tommy giggled as Dean feigned shock. Sam rolled his eyes at his older brother's antics. Tommy poked a finger at Dean's nose. "Snack?"  
Sam laughed, throwing his head back. "Dude, don't you dare. Tommy's had too much sugar already today."  
"Mean old Sammy said no, sorry buddy." Dean said, lifting the child in his arms as he stood and hefting him onto his right hip with a little bounce, making Tommy laugh. "No problem, we got this. I'm gonna show you how to make burgers, kiddo."  
\-----------------  
[Y/N] yawned, blinking her [E/C] eyes as she slowly stretched before she bolted upright. "Shit. Tommy?!" She franticly looked about the room, but Tommy was nowhere to be found. "Crap, he's loose in the bunker."  
[Y/N] dashed out the door, her [H/L], [H/C] hair still slightly mussed from her nap. She called for Tommy as she made her way to the library, listening to sounds of the toddler playing and hoping he was at least not causing any irreparable damage. Sam was alone in the library, reading a tome of lore. He looked up when she ran into the room, a knowing grin growing on his face.  
"Looking for a little runaway, [Y/N]?" He asked trying to keep a serious face. [Y/N] paused and eyed Sam suspiciously, making the tall hunter laugh.  
"What do you know, Sam?" She crossed her arms. "What are you up to?"  
"Don't worry, Tommy's with Dean." Sam grinned broadly. "He's making sure he can't get out of the crib."  
"Crib?" [Y/N] shrugged. "We don't have a crib."  
"Actually, you do." Sam stood and put on hand on [Y/N]'s shoulder. "I picked it up this afternoon. C'mon."  
\-----------------  
Dean sat in the rocking chair in Tommy's new room, the toddler dozing in his lap. While Tommy played with the oversized building blocks, Sam and Dean had assembled the crib and arranged the few new pieces of furniture. Dean had given Sam a list of things he thought Tommy should have, and Sam had picked up a few other educational toys and a stack of coloring books to keep the toddler occupied. He'd even tracked down the markers that only worked on special paper, so Tommy could sit with him in the library and draw, leaving the old books safe from the boy's artistic flair. Dean knew [Y/N] would be glad to have a space just for Tommy, and the boys hoped this would reign in some of the chaos that followed Tommy around the bunker.  
The little boy gave a soft sigh and contently snuggled against Dean, leaving the older Winchester to freeze, worrying the boy was waking. He relaxed and rubbed the boy's back when he saw Tommy still slept.  
Sam pushed the door to the room open and allowed [Y/N] to step in first. Dean quickly shushed them, then crocked his finger down towards Tommy's sleeping form. [Y/N] smiled softly at the sight, making Dean grin at her.  
"Well, what do you think, [Y/NN]?" Dean whispered.  
"Dean, I can't believe you guys did this. Thank you, Tommy's gonna love it." She hugged Sam tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. [Y/N] crossed the room and leaned down pressing a soft kiss to Dean's lips. "You guys are amazing."  
"We figured, if Tommy was gonna be here, we had to do something to make him space for himself." Sam said. "It might be easier to keep him out of trouble in here. He hears a lot of no's everywhere else, so this would be his turf."  
"Did-did you really line the walls with drawing paper?" [Y/N] laughed.  
"Hey, kids draw on walls. I don't wanna have to wash them when he wants to draw. And you already do so much for him, I don't want you having to wash walls, either. So, this seemed like a good call." Dean grinned sheepishly. "And this gives him his own bed to sleep in, so you can go back to sharing mine now."  
Sam groaned and quickly disappeared out the door.  
Dean stood, careful not to jostle the sleeping toddler in the process, and put his free arm around [Y/N]'s shoulders. He kissed her temple.  
"Don't worry, baby, Sammy will warm up to having Tommy here." Dean handed Tommy off to his girlfriend, and [Y/N] put the sleeping boy in the crib, pulling the little blanket over him. She kissed the boy's cheek and fondly caressed his wavy hair before raising the side of the crib. Dean came up behind her, wrapping his arms around [Y/N] and kissing her temple. "He reminds me a bit of Sammy, when he was still in diapers. It's gonna be an adjustment for all of us, Tommy included. It won't be easy and it'll take time. But this is Tommy's home now. It has to be, he's your family. You gotta watch out for the kid. We get that, sweetheart."  
Dean guided [Y/N] out into the hall, quietly shutting the door to Tommy's room. He turned to her and pulled her into his arms again, holding her close. She looked up at him and he crushed his lips to hers, slowly pulling out of the kiss with a smirk growing on his face.  
"So, what do you say to sleeping in my room tonight?"


	3. Tough Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's kind of long. It's actually part one of two, as I opted to make it two chapters after seeing how long the first part ended up being. 
> 
> The boys are hunting a chimera and Tommy has his first experience with hunting. Sam and Dean aren't happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Y/N] - your name  
> [Y/LN] - your last name  
> [Y/NN] - your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

[Y/N] [Y/LN] groaned as she wiped the apple sauce from her squirming nephew's face as he tried to push his small frame free from the confines of his highchair. Thwarted by the harness in the high chair, the toddler changed tactics and whimpered and clung to his aunt's arms. [Y/N] chuckled softly.  
"Tell you what, little man. You let me finish cleaning this mess of a face, and I'll let you go play." She smiled down at little Tommy. Tommy, for his part, whined and plunged his face into her stomach, smearing his face across the gray cotton tank top. [Y/N] sighed. "Or you can do that. Now I gotta change. Again."  
The toddler looked up at her with wide brown eyes, his small hands resting on her hand. His lower lip protruded and trembled slightly.  
"I bad?" The toddler asked quietly, watching her face.  
"Not bad, buddy," chuckled [Y/N] as she freed the small boy from the highchair, giving him a quick hug before setting him on the floor. "Just really messy." She knelt beside him. "Tell you what, you can go play in your room while I do a little research, and if you're good we can get ice cream later."  
"Ice cream, yay!" Tommy shrieked and ran out of the room leaving [Y/N] to jog after him as he made his way down the hall to his room. "I good boy!"  
\--------------  
"So, yeah, Sam, I see those articles on the animal attacks. And you're right, it seems really random." [Y/N] frowned at the laptop screen. "But why would bodies of people attacked by animals be burned?"  
"Dean thinks someone was just trying to make it look like animal attacks. Maybe the burning was ritualistic." Sam Winchester's voice came up through the speaker of [Y/N]'s phone beside the laptop. "But I think there's something else going on."  
"Burned bodies. Maybe a demon?" [Y/N] postulated aloud.  
"Maybe, but there's no other signs pointing to demons." Sam sounded doubtful. "The claw marks seemed like they were from a big feline, like a mountain lion. But there were unusual bite marks at each scene. Like the teeth from a sheep or goat. Some victims even had snake bites."  
"Sounds like a zoo needs to come get their animals." [Y/N] chuckled, rolling her [E/C] eyes.  
Sam groaned and Dean Winchester's laugher filled the background followed by a faint "told you" and Sam trying to shush the older Winchester.  
"You've been around Dean too long, [Y/N], you're starting to sound like him." Sam reprimanded lightly.  
"Yeah, maybe, but you can't really be thinking it's that? Not seriously." [Y/N] shook her head, even though Sam could not see her. "I mean a chimera? Really, Sam?"  
"Do you have a better idea?" Sam queried, his voice slightly edged with irritation. He sighed. "Sorry, I just went through this with Dean."  
"Hey!" Dean yelled indignantly making [Y/N] raise a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. "Hey, sweetheart. How are you holding up there with Tommy?"  
"We're good here. Tommy's added a few new words to his vocabulary. One of them we're gonna have a little chat about when you get back, Dean." [Y/N] grumbled, running a hand through her [H/L], [H/C] hair, remembering the words that fell from Tommy's mouth when he dropped his sippy cup.  
"I'm just gonna start begging you to spare me now." Dean said, sounding mildly apprehensive until [Y/N] laughed. "Did he at least use it right?"  
"Dean Winchester!" [Y/N] scolded with another laugh.  
"As much as I hate to interrupt, do you think you can meet up with us in South Dakota to help us take care of a chimera?" Sam asked. "Dean is limping around on a sprained ankle, and I'd really like someone with two functional legs with me."  
"Yeah, I'll see if I can leave Tommy with the sitter, and I'll leave tonight." [Y/N] promised.  
\----------------  
Several hours later found [Y/N] [Y/LN] driving her '73 Impala along the highway in the night with a slumbering toddler strapped in his car seat in the back. The three sitters she had numbers for were either out of town, or, as was one case, in the midst of a divorce, and unable to take Tommy at the last minute. [Y/N] tried praying to Castiel, but even the blue eyed angel seemed to ignore her prayers. [Y/N] did not like the idea of taking Tommy along on a hunt, not one bit, but without anyone to watch him, and knowing the Winchester brothers needed her, she saw no other option.  
She glanced up at the slumbering form of Tommy in the rearview mirror, his knitted blanket dangling off one leg and the edge of his car seat. He slumbered blissfully unaware of the hunt they were heading towards, but having the toddler with her was unsettling, and again she tried praying to Castiel, but after several moments of silence she groaned in defeat. Sam and Dean were not going to be happy, but if Tommy stayed in the Impala he should be out of harm's way. Or so [Y/N] hoped.  
"We'll just have to make this quick," muttered [Y/N] as she pushed down on the gas pedal, spurring her car to accelerate down the dark highway into the next state.  
\--------------  
"[Y/N], you should have called. We would have understood." Sam kept his voice low, as he lowered her bags to the ground while [Y/N] tucked the small, sleeping boy under the covers of the bed closest to the bathroom.  
"Dean is injured, I'm not about to abandon you guys." [Y/N] whispered in response, a bit aggravated. "I know this ain't ideal, but he can play in the car while we take down the chimera. He'll be fine. Besides, Dean is gonna be outside, so he can keep my car insight and make sure Tommy is safe."  
The motel room door opened and Dean entered, shutting the door quietly. He scowled at the bed Tommy slept in and shook his head.  
"I can't reach Cas," grumbled the eldest Winchester, his brow furrowed as he fixed his green eyes on [Y/N]. "[Y/N], I know you had to make a tough call here, but I don't think you made the right one."  
"I did what I had to, Dean. Tommy's my family, you and Sam don't have to worry about him, that's my job." The female hunter grimaced and shook her head. "This isn't your problem."  
"Fine." Dean bristled and turned to Sam. "You take the other bed, I'll go sleep in the car." He turned to the door, then paused. Sighing heavily, he turned around and crossed the room to [Y/N], planting a quick kiss to her cheek and stepping to Tommy to tousle his hair. "I ain't looking for a fight, [Y/N]. I just want you both safe."  
Dean did not wait for [Y/N] to reply, instead crossing the small room as hastily as his bandaged ankle allowed and closed the door behind him.  
\---------------  
Tommy started to squirm in his sleep, waking [Y/N] from a quickly forgotten dream. She pulled the toddler to her, hugging him until he relaxed in her arms and let out a tiny yawn. He blinked his brown eyes and smiled up at [Y/N].  
"Good morning sleepyhead." [Y/N] kissed Tommy on the top of his head as they sat up. "Guess who's here?"  
Tommy looked to the other bed where Sam, working on his laptop, pretended not to notice them. His quiet chuckle betrayed him to [Y/N], but Tommy was easier to fool. The toddler gasped, a broad smile lighting up the small boy's face as he scrambled out of the bed and ran to Sam Winchester.  
"Ammy! Up!" Tommy's mispronunciation of Sam's name made the tall man chuckled as the little boy stood with arms outstretched, little fingers anxiously wiggling as if they could magically make Sam reach for him faster. "Up, Ammy!"  
"OK, Tommy, I got you." Sam easily lifted the laughing child and sat him on the bed, which met with a disapproving frown from the boy. Sam laughed as Tommy jumped up and threw his arms across the older man's torso in an awkward embrace. Sam wrapped his arms around the child. "Hi, kiddo."  
"Hi, Ammy!" Tommy mumbled into his stomach. "I hungry."  
"I guess I better get him some cereal." [Y/N] mused, getting out of bed and pulling her flannel on over her tank top.  
"Don't bother, there's a small diner down the street. We'll get something to eat there and then head out." Sam tickled Tommy's side as the toddler shrieked and giggled. "Get ready, I'll deal with this guy. Might have him help me wake up Dean."  
"De?" Tommy asked Sam, suddenly serious.  
"You want to get Dean, kiddo?" Sam asked as [Y/N] rolled her eyes and headed for the bathroom.  
"De!"  
\--------------  
"Hey! He's stealing my bacon." Dean grumbled pushing his plate out of the reach of the toddler's reach with one hand, as he lifted his coffee mug with the other to hide his smirk as Tommy pouted in the highchair. The toddler's shoulders drooped and he slid lower in his highchair. The older Winchester brother put down his mug with shake of his head. He took a piece of bacon from his plate and broke it in half, placing one piece on Tommy's plate. "There you go, buddy."  
"De!" Tommy clapped his hands together, beaming at Dean. He eagerly snatched up the offering, ignoring his scrambled eggs to chomp on the bacon. "Like De!"  
"Yes, Tommy, just like Dean." [Y/N] grinned at him before raising her mug to her lips, extending one hand to tousle the boy's hair. "Eat your eggs, too."  
Tommy obediently grabbed a fist full of scrambled eggs and tried to get it in his mouth, but most of the eggs fell in his lap or on the floor. Sam rolled his eyes, while Dean chuckled. Tommy stared at the eggs on the floor in confusion, until [Y/N] spooned a small bite into his mouth.  
"Still can't believe you let him jump on me, dude." Dean grumbled at Sam. "I'm injured."  
"It's just a sprained ankle, you've lived through much worse." Sam rolled his eyes. "I don't think a toddler can do much damage to a hunter."  
"Yeah, well I didn't exactly love him trying to shove his fingers up my nose." Dean glared at his younger brother before sighing. "It's a damn good thing Tommy's cute, or he might not have survived that wake up call."  
"De!" Tommy chimed in with a happy grin, his spoon clutched in his small fist.  
"Looks like he's calling your bluff." [Y/N] laughed before kissing Dean's cheek. "So, Sam, what's the plan?"  
\---------------  
[Y/N] was glad Tommy was safe in the Impala, and that Dean Winchester had eyes on him. Dean was making sure the chimera did not escape, if she and Sam were not able to take it out first, like a contingency plan. There was a good chance it might come down to Dean, because they were not having the best of luck in the warehouse. The plan was to corner the chimera and use lead blades to take it out, as, according to the lore and Sam, chimeras were weak against lead.  
This chimera seemed not to be privy to that theory, because despite the few cuts they managed to make, the chimera was still running strong. The monster was something out of a nightmare with the massive body of a lion with a head like that of a rabid goat and a tail that seemed to be part serpent complete with fangs. They were trying to decapitate the damned beast, as that was usually a solid fail safe when something needed to be ganked, but the chimera was faster and stronger than they were. It got between [Y/N] and Sam, tossing the tall Winchester man into a wall and sent [Y/N] sprawling into a dusty pile of discarded tarps.  
"[Y/N]!" Sam shouted, scrambling to his feet and ducking behind a crate as the chimera loosed a guttural roar and stalked after [Y/N]. "Run, get to Dean! Go!"  
"Sam, I'm not leaving you in here!" [Y/N] insisted as she slowly backed away from the chimera, her [E/C] eyes on the beast as she tried to find a way to reach Sam.  
"[Y/N], I'm calling the shots. Run! That's an order!" Sam shouted, anger tingeing his voice. "Go to Dean, now!"  
The chimera lunged at [Y/N], forcing her to leap to the side. Her foot slipped on the floor of the warehouse, sending her to the floor in a heap with a strangled cry. She picked herself up in time to see Sam Winchester stagger out from his hiding place behind the crate, shouting at the chimera and waving his blade wildly until the feral beast turned to stalk him.  
Sam's right shoulder slumped slightly, and her friend's pinched face made [Y/N] understand he was injured. He gave her a curt nod, and she nodded back, her grip on her blade tightening at her realization. She turned on her heel to make her escape at a dead run, not daring to turn back when she heard the splintering of a crate and Sam's anguished shout followed by the roar of one extremely pissed chimera tailing her.  
\-----------------  
Dean Winchester was sure of two things when [Y/N] burst out of the warehouse with her [E/C] eyes wide and searching. The first was that things were not going to plan. The second was that of the handful of people he cared for more than anything else, three of them were in danger. When the chimera came charging out a moment later, throwing [Y/N] to the ground, Dean sprang into action with a shout, plunging his blade in the chimera's side.  
The chimera howled and whirled on Dean, tearing the blade from the older Winchester brother's hands.  
"Shit, that didn't work." Dean muttered, leaping back as [Y/N] lay unmoving on the gravel. His eyes never left her, even as the lumbering chimera stalked toward him, leaving [Y/N] forgotten on the ground. Even as he shot at the chimera, he kept [Y/N] in the corner of his vision, until she slowly began to move and he knew she was alive.  
"Yeah, that's right, I'm the one you want, you fugly son of a bitch." Dean slowly moved away from [Y/N] and the Impala, luring the chimera after him. He had no plan other than to keep [Y/N] and Tommy safe. "Come and get me."  
[Y/N] regained her bearings and stared as Dean lured the chimera away from her, with a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach as she realized Dean was not fairing any better that she and Sam had.  
"Mama?" Tommy inquired, sticking his head out of the rear window of the Impala as he waved his little hand at her in ill timed exuberance. He had too much trouble saying auntie and started to use a more familiar name for her, despite her attempts to correct him, and now, more than anything, [Y/N] [Y/LN] wished the little boy did not speak at all. Instead, Tommy grew more insistent with his greeting. "Mama! Ma!"  
The chimera heard Tommy's innocent calls and lost all interest in Dean, turning towards the Impala and Tommy. A low guttural rumble came from the creature as it stalked toward the boy in the Impala. Dean yelled to Tommy to hide, drawing the young boy's attention towards the chimera. Tommy clearly did not like the look of the chimera, and withdrew into the car with a whimper. [Y/N] felt terror wrap itself around her heart seeing Tommy's fearful reaction to the advancing monster and not knowing how to stop it. The chimera began to charge toward the Impala, roaring. Dean chased after it, shouting and trying to get ahead of it, [Y/N] racing towards the Impala to reach Tommy before the chimera could. Soft cries from within the Impala reached her ears, breaking her heart.  
Something struck the forearm of her flannel shirt, and a bit of moisture landed on the back of her hand and began to burn. [Y/N] yelped and wiped her hand on her jeans before a sudden realization hit her. They agreed it was unlikely the chimera really breathed fire, but they could not find another reason for the burned bodies. A quick glance at the angry red patch of skin on her hand and the disintegrating fabric that was once her sleeve were enough to make all the pieces fall into place.  
"So chimeras are like the spittersaurus in 'Jurassic Park'." [Y/N] smirked as she got an idea that Dean would probably hate.  
She pivoted towards the chimera and leveled her lead blade, running straight at the monster, her free arm raised to shield her eyes. Dean's panicked shouts were drowned out by the roar of the charging chimera. With a yell of her own [Y/N] charged, ignoring the burning on her hands and cheeks as the chimera's toxic spit fell on her. She plunged the lead blade into the roaring monster's mouth with as much force as she could muster.  
"Choke on that." [Y/N] smirked as she collapsed to her knees, exhausted and in pain.  
The chimera yowled and clawed at the blade wedged in its fearsome maw. The blade appeared to sink further into its mouth as the lead melted aided by the toxic secretions in the chimera's mouth. The monster shuddered and collapsed on the ground, stilling at last as it died.  
Dean reached [Y/N] a second later, lifting her into his strong arms as he carried her to the back of the Impala, struggling to ignore Tommy's whimpers as he opened the trunk. Sam slowly emerged from the warehouse, clutching his injured shoulder, heaving a relived sigh at the sight to the dead chimera as he headed towards Dean and [Y/N].  
"Hey, man, you good?" Dean called to his brother as he pulled a bottle of water from the trunk and spun the cap off it. Sam nodded, staring at his older brother who proceeded to remove his shirt and wet it, using it to wipe [Y/N]'s face and hands as she winced. Sam moved to the dead monster, and decapitated the dead chimera with a decisive slash from his blade, just to be sure it was over. Dean called out to him, still carefully tending to [Y/N]. "Take care of Tommy, will you? He's pretty spooked."  
"Sure, on it." Sam said uncertainly, staring at the burns on [Y/N]'s skin. He slowly opened the door and slid in, reaching down to where Tommy was huddled up on the floor mat. He lifted the teary eyed child onto his lap. Sam rubbed Tommy's back as the toddler snuggled into his chest, hiding his face in the older man's shirt with a sniffle. "I got you, kiddo. You're safe."  
The door opened on the other side, and Dean helped [Y/N] into the car, carefully shutting the door behind her. Sam deposited the toddler in her lap, and Tommy immediately threw his little arms around her neck before he curled into her embrace. [Y/N] held him tightly, placing a kiss to the top of his wavy locks before resting her cheek atop his head.  
\----------------  
The ride back to the motel room would have been stony silent had it not been for Tommy's desire to tell [Y/N] all about the scary animal he saw. Tommy had decided it was a bear, and no one contradicted him. Sam and Dean both seemed irritated, and [Y/N] anticipated an argument, but not in front of Tommy. But when they reached the motel, Sam and Dean just packed up their things, helping gather [Y/N]'s and Tommy's belongings as well, packing up the two cars. Dean helped Sam get settled in the Impala, as the taller Winchester's arm was in a sling, while [Y/N] buckled Tommy into his car seat.  
[Y/N] walked over to Dean, who turned to her with his jaw tense and his brow deeply furrowed. He raised his hands to stop her.  
"I ain't gonna do this here, [Y/N], but you and me, we need to talk." Dean glared at her. "I'll see you at the bunker." Dean turned and headed for the driver's side of his '67 Impala, tossing one last comment over his shoulder before getting in the car. "You should know I'm pissed."  
Sam cast [Y/N] a sympathetic look through the windshield as Dean threw the gear into reverse and backed the car out of the parking space and drove out of the parking lot, leaving [Y/N] staring after them.  
\----------------  
"Were you trying to get yourself killed with that little stunt out there? What was the plan, Sam and I were gonna take care of Tommy? And what about Tommy? You should have never brought him on a hunt, [Y/N]. Tommy could've been hurt out there!" Dean shouted, his body rigid as he glared at her. He pressed his lips into a thin line of agitation as he shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to reign in his anger. "That thing could've killed him."  
"Damn it, Dean! He's fine, I got there in time!" [Y/N] snapped back. She turned away from the piercing stare of his green eyes. She knew in all truth that she simply got lucky, and Dean could have just as easily been right. Had her timing been even a second slower, she, and possibly even Tommy would have died. She was well aware of how close this hunt came to disaster, but she refused to admit it out loud because that would mean admitting Tommy was getting in the way of being able to help with hunts. And if she could not hunt, Dean would eventually find them to be too much of a liability, and [Y/N] refused to let that happen. "Tommy's fine!"  
"It's like you're taking lessons on raising kids from John Winchester." Dean growled, his boots thudding across the floor to [Y/N], a scowl marring his features. He stared into her [E/C] eyes, his brows furrowed. "He was curled up on Baby's floor, crying! He wasn't fine, he was terrified. You brought him into that. You don't deserve that kid."  
"Whoa, Dean! Seriously?" Sam interrupted, entering the war room slightly stooped to lead Tommy in by the hand, the toddler sleepily rubbing his eyes. Dean and [Y/N] stepped away from each other, [Y/N] refusing to meet Dean's eyes anymore. Sam ushered Tommy to [Y/N] and the young boy opened his arms to hug her leg while Sam spoke to Dean in hushed whispers, urging him back a few feet. "Ease up. She's not dad, not by a long shot. C'mon, don't put that on her, man."  
"Dude, she left you in there, and you were injured." Dean hissed back, he eyes darting to [Y/N] briefly before focusing back on his younger brother. "She could've died, or Tommy, or you. And he's just a little guy. This ain't OK."  
"Dean." Sam cautioned, ushering Dean back a few more steps. "Look, I ain't saying she made a good choice on this one, and I don't like that Tommy could've gotten hurt. But at the end of the day, she handled it."  
"Up?" Tommy asked hopefully, lifting his arms high in anticipation. A small yawn escaped his lips, and he wiggled his fingers beseechingly. "Up, mama?"  
"Auntie, sweetie. I'm your auntie." [Y/N] obliged, lifting her small nephew into her arms and hugging him close, trying to ignore the Winchester brothers. Tommy laid his weary head on her shoulder with a contented sigh. She bowed her head to gently kiss his little shoulder, hastily blinking back her guilty tears.  
"I-I'm gonna put Tommy to bed. It's getting late." She said aloud, not looking at either Winchester brother as she escaped the room, holding Tommy protectively to her as he let his eyes flutter shut and succumbed to slumber.  
\---------------  
Dean and [Y/N] spoke very little to each other, both doing their part to keep as much space as possible between them the next morning. Sam was relieved they were not arguing, but the tension in the air around them was still thick. Dean realized his anger took their argument to a place he had not intended to go to, and he felt badly about hurting [Y/N] that way, but he still could not forgive her just yet for endangering the toddler living with them, or abandoning Sam, or nearly sacrificing herself to the chimera. Sam knew he needed to set Dean straight about some things, but he too was angry with [Y/N] for putting Tommy in danger. He initially planned to sit her down and give her a little lecture on the matter when they got back, until he heard what Dean said to her and saw the pain in her [E/C] eyes before she left the room to put her nephew down for the night. Dean clearly said enough for the both of them, as [Y/N] said very little to even Sam that morning unless Sam asked her a question point blank.  
Sam tried to keep his questions to her as light hearted as possible, avoiding anything that might bring up the hunt or the previous night's argument. Which Tommy tried to thwart by his insistence in telling Sam all about the bear he thought he saw. Dean had been cooking breakfast, and went visibly stiff as Tommy talked, until [Y/N] abruptly stood and rushed out of the room. Sam waited for Dean to make a snide comment, but the older Winchester brother simply shook his head and rummaged in the fridge and on the shelves for a few things that Sam recognized as [Y/N]'s favorite breakfast foods. By the time Dean had finished preparing breakfast and set everything on the table, [Y/N] had returned, her [E/C] eyes red and puffy. Dean's face looked pained as he saw her take her seat, but a moment later he cleared his throat and the look was lost. [Y/N] did not even see it. Had Dean not prepared her a plate and silently placed it before her, she probably would not have noticed the food either.  
The adults at the table ate in relative silence as Tommy happily chattered to himself while munching on the syrup laden blueberry pancakes he scrunched up in his tiny fists. Sam found the tension suffocating between [Y/N] and Dean. Dean was trying to be nicer to [Y/N] but she was so wrapped up in her guilt that she knew nothing else. Sam had to get them to talk to each other, but he wanted it to be their idea. As they finished eating, Sam cleared his throat and stood.  
"You know, next time I give you an order on a hunt, [Y/N], I expect you to follow it. Not question it." Sam forced himself to scowl at his friend, hating how pained and embarrassed she looked as she raised her eyes slightly to catch his gaze. She hastily lowered her eyes and Sam felt a twinge of guilt for intentionally trying to hurt her feelings by calling her out in front of Dean. He really wanted to commend her loyalty to him, but he needed Dean to fully jump into protective boyfriend mode, and that would only happen if [Y/N] was belittled by someone else. "I definitely don't want you contradicting my orders ever again. Are we clear?"  
"Yes, Sam." [Y/N] whispered, her voice unsteady.  
"Next time I tell you to go?" He asked, hating how defeated the female hunter looked, but relieved to see Dean watching her with growing concern.  
"I'll leave." [Y/N] replied simply.  
Dean raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze to Sam. The brothers stared at each other for a silent moment, before Dean pushed his chair back and freed Tommy from his highchair. He set the giddy toddler down, shooing him out of the room to go play in his room. Then Sam and Dean stepped out into the hallway, leaving [Y/N] alone in the kitchen to clear the dishes.  
\--------------  
"C'mon, man, did you have to do that to her now? She's already upset after last night." Dean grumbled lowly as the followed Tommy down the hall briefly. "You're supposed to be the nice one, so when I screw up she still has a reason to stay."  
"Thanks for putting that on me. But you needed to see that so you'd remember you don't like it when she's hurting. And she is hurting, Dean. She didn't abandon me, I made her go." Sam confessed. "She refused to go the first time I told her to, so I ordered her out. That's when she ran out."  
"Wait, so technically she didn't ignore an order from you?" Dean asked incredulously. "But you scolded her like she did. Not cool."  
"I'll fix things with her later. Right now you and I need to talk." Sam stared at his brother. "I know you're mad, but you can't blame her for leaving me in the warehouse. As for the Tommy thing, we're all upset over it, including [Y/N]. Holding it over her head isn't gonna change things. It happened, but we got lucky and he wasn't hurt. And we ain't exactly guiltless. One of us could've told her to stay at the motel with Tommy, but we didn't."  
"Yeah, I kinda thought he'd be safe in the Impala. I guess we all did." Dean sighed, crossing his arms. He licked his lips as he considered his thoughts. "Still, it wasn't a good call on her part to begin with."  
"Dude, stop it. And comparing her to dad like that and saying she didn't deserve Tommy? That was mean." Sam said, with a roll of his eyes. He ran a hand through his long hair. "Yes, she should have stayed in the bunker and called to tell us things changed, but she wanted to be there for us and we did ask her to help. She was in a sticky situation because of us. Maybe cut her a little slack?"  
"Speaking of sticky situations..." Dean gestured down the hall to where Tommy stood pressing his still syrupy hands repeatedly against the wall, giggling gleefully at the sensation of his tacky hands pulling off the wall. "You deal with Tommy, and I'll deal with [Y/N]?"  
Sam Winchester groaned.  
\-----------------  
[Y/N] stared dismally at the broken glass in the sink as if it were symbolic of her role in the events of the last couple days. She had been absentmindedly washing the glasses, letting herself get lost in her thoughts, only to have this one slip from her fingers into the sink. At least the pieces were fairly large, and [Y/N] quickly started tossing pieces into the trash. One piece was slippery from the dish soap and slipped in her grasp, nicking her finger.  
As [Y/N] stared at the small dot of red blood blooming from the cut, tears began to fall from her eyes. The frustrations and guilt she felt washing over her in small waves all morning finally came crashing over her like a tidal wave, and she gripped the edge of the sink as a sob escaped her lips. The events of the hunt replayed themselves in her mind as if on a loop, with Sam and Dean's angry words emphatically punctuating the worst moments, followed by the memory of Tommy crying in the Impala. She cried openly alone in the bunker's kitchen, hating herself for being responsible for putting her young nephew in danger that could have taken the boy from her forever.  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered the words between her sobs, her fingers clenching against the steel of the sink. Her head dropped, and strands of her [H/L], [H/C] hair fell in front of her face, unnoticed by the anguished hunter as she angrily ran her hand across her eyes in a futile attempt to brush away her heavily falling tears.  
"Sweetheart, no, please." The footfalls of Dean's boots against the linoleum hastened behind [Y/N] and his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he pulled her into his strong chest, holding her protectively. He lightly kissed her temple, his embrace tightening as his girlfriend hid her face in her hands. "I'm right here, [Y/NN]. I was a jerk yesterday, and I said things I didn't mean, but I've got you now. I'm right here for you." Dean kissed her cheek as her shoulders slightly relaxed and she leaned back into him. He took her injured hand in his, frowning at the injury. He released her hand, as [Y/N]'s tears lessened, reaching around her to turn on the faucet and guide her hand under the cold water. "Let me take care of you, [Y/NN]. Let's get that finger fixed up."  
He kissed her temple again before stepping away to grab the first aid kit and placed it on the counter. Dean took a clean dish towel and patted away the water on [Y/N]'s hand, quickly pressing a kiss into her palm. [Y/N] giggled softly through her tears, using her free hand to swipe at her cheeks. Dean offered her a sympathetic smile as he applied ointment to the cut finger, relieved to see her match his smile. He gently bandaged [Y/N]'s finger, his hand lingering on hers momentarily before raising her hand to his lips to plant a feather light kiss over the injured finger.  
"To make it feel better." Dean cleared his throat, glancing away sheepishly as he returned the first aid kit to its proper place. "Don't ever tell Sammy I did that. I'll deny it." He stood before [Y/N], running his hands along her arms before pulling her close to him. "Look, I love you and I'm pretty fond of that nephew of yours. I just got a little crazy after everything that happened. I don't like seeing either one of you in danger like that." [Y/N]'s face fell and she turned her head away until Dean cupped a hand against her cheek, encouraging her to look at him. "Hey. Talk to me, baby."  
"I'm sorry, Dean. I thought I could do this..." [Y/N] shook her head. "I didn't want to take Tommy with me, but I didn't have sitter and I told Sam I was gonna help. I thought I could handle taking care of him and being a hunter, but I was wrong, and I thought if I was useless as a hunter you'd want us out and-"  
"Whoa, easy there, [Y/NN]." Dean pulled her into a strong embrace, rubbing circles on her back until she laid her head on his chest. "I don't care if you're hunting or taking a break, you belong here. Tommy, too. Sammy and me, we wouldn't want it any other way. You got that?"  
[Y/N] nodded slowly, her arms finding their way around his waist.  
"Listen, [Y/N], your priority is the little guy. If you gotta leave the monsters to me and Sam from time to time to take care of Tommy, we'll get it." Dean kissed the top of her head. "And I don't ever wanna see you trying to sacrifice yourself to protect him, or anyone, again. So you just keep him away from hunts from here on out and quit trying to give me a heart attack, OK?"  
"OK, Dean." [Y/N] sighed. "I just wasn't ready to give up hunting so soon."  
"Hey, I ain't sidelining you, sweetheart. We'll find a way to make this work." Dean gazed down into [Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes with a smirk before lowering his head to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. "Although, [Y/NN], I can think of a few perks to taking a little break."  
"Seriously, Dean?" Sam groaned from the door, rolling his eyes. "Can you at least wait until I hug [Y/N] and make sure we're good? You know, before you ravish her in the kitchen."  
"Sam, gross! Besides, you know we prefer the shower." [Y/N] mock scolded her friend as Dean released her from his embrace.  
Sam laughed and pulled her into a fierce hug, whispering in her ear. "I'm so sorry, [Y/N], I just needed to do something to get Dean to talk to you. Are we good?"  
"Yeah." [Y/N] nodded into his chest before pulling out of the embrace to see Tommy lingering in the doorway.  
"Ice cream?" The toddler looked hopeful, and Dean laughed lifting Tommy into his arms making the boy grin widely.  
"Go. Enjoy yourselves." Sam rolled his eyes, taking Tommy from Dean. "I'll take Tommy for ice cream, and to the park. And to the library. We don't need to be around for this. Call me when it's safe to come back." Sam hefted the toddler in his arms, eliciting a delighted squeal from Tommy, who clutched the tall man's flannel in his little fists. He carried the giggling boy out of the room, leaving Dean and [Y/N] alone.  
"So, that's a no to kitchen sex?" Dean asked, an impish grin on his face.  
"Ew. We eat in here." [Y/N] swatted his shoulder with a laugh. Dean wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to hers.  
"Yeah, the bed is a lot softer, anyway."


	4. Choosen Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the second part from the last chapter. No monster this time. It still has fluff though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Y/N] - your name  
> [Y/LN] - your last name  
> [Y/NN] - your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

[Y/N] [Y/LN] groaned inwardly as she scrubbed crayon of the door frame of the kitchen. Tommy had smuggled a crayon in while she had been making him scrambled eggs. The damage would have been a lot worse had Dean Winchester not walked in and plucked the crayon out of the rouge toddler's grasp. Of course it set Tommy into a teary tantrum and Dean was still pre-coffee, leaving [Y/N] to cook the eggs while balancing an unhappy, squirming toddler on her hip until Sam joined them after his post workout shower. The younger Winchester brother swiftly took temporary charge of young child and made faces at Tommy until the boy giggled, keeping the offending crayons hidden from view and freeing [Y/N] to finish making the eggs. But after breakfast, the guys left [Y/N] alone to deal with the aftermath of breakfast and Tommy's artistic endeavors.  
[Y/N] was grateful for any help Sam and Dean gave her, although Sam was the one who stepped up to help with Tommy the majority of the time. Dean preferred help with Tommy only if he was happy or easily placated with sweets. Tommy adored Dean, but Dean seemed kept his interactions with the little boy limited. Sam Winchester, despite being the one who initially was most leery about Tommy's presence in the bunker, was the one most eager to spend time with Tommy in between hunts and research. Sometimes even in the middle of research. A few days earlier Tommy wandered into the library with a story book while they were pouring over eastern European lore. [Y/N] finished reading the paragraph she was analyzing, ready to excuse herself to read to her nephew, but Sam was quicker and lifted the toddler on to his lap. He read Tommy three stories in all, until the little boy popped his thumb in his mouth and leaned against Sam's arm with drooping eyes. Dean's contribution was to get beers for the adults, and a bottle of apple juice for Tommy.  
As much as it bothered her that Dean seemed to avoid interacting with Tommy more and more, [Y/N] kept it to herself. After all, until two months ago, Tommy was not part of their lives. Dean and Sam never expected a toddler to be thrust into their lives. They were already accommodating enough to let him live in the bunker and do as much as they did for him. [Y/N] did not feel she really had a place to complain to Dean that he was not doing enough for Tommy, especially since Tommy was not his child. Still, she wished he took more interest in spending time with Tommy.  
The happy shriek of an over excited toddler rang down the hall as [Y/N] finished putting away the cleaning supplies, telling [Y/N] the Winchester matriarch had returned from a hunt. Mary Winchester had come into [Y/N]'s life as unexpectedly as Tommy had been introduced to Sam and Dean. Dean asked her to help out with Tommy when she was not on a hunt after relating the events of the chimera incident and Mary eagerly accepted. She thought Tommy was adorable, and Tommy took to her almost immediately. [Y/N] had to admit the days when Mary was around things went far more smoothly with Tommy, and it gave [Y/N] time to help the brothers with research and spend more time with Dean. Mary never brought up the chimera incident with her, so if she held judgment on [Y/N]'s abilities as Tommy's guardian, she kept them silent. Still, [Y/N] felt Dean's invitation to have Mary help with Tommy, which he never mentioned to [Y/N] until Mary arrived, indicated that despite his earlier reassurances he still questioned [Y/N]'s ability to care for Tommy. [Y/N] suspected that also to be part of the reason he had yet to ask her to rejoin him and Sam on their hunts.  
[Y/N] sighed and made her way to the library to say hello to Mary, and rescue her from Tommy's eager chatter until she had a little time to grab a shower and get settled before unleashing the nearly two year old on her.  
\-----------------  
Nearly a week later, Mary was still at the bunker, as she was taking a few weeks off from hunting because Dean thought [Y/N] could use the help with Tommy. Usually Mary would only stay two or three days at a time, so now [Y/N] was on edge trying to figure out where she was failing Tommy in Dean's eyes. Mary did things differently than [Y/N], from when she put Tommy down for naptime to the meals she made for the toddler. She liked to spoil the young boy, and Tommy almost always had her undivided attention. He seemed to behave well for Mary, but when [Y/N] took over to give Mary a break Tommy became cranky and disobedient.  
Tommy now sat in the corner in his time out chair in the kitchen after throwing a toy car in [Y/N]'s direction after being told he could not eat cookies for lunch. [Y/N] set the time for three minutes, and Tommy seemed determined to cry for the whole time out. [Y/N] would never raise a hand to him, no matter how naughty the child might get, but she did believe in being firm with him, and as much as the crying tore at her heart, Tommy knew better than to throw toys, so [Y/N] gave him a stern scolding and sat him in the corner despite the boy's tears.  
"I good, I good." Tommy whined through his tears. "I good boy now."  
[Y/N] rolled her eyes, trying to stay firm as the timer still had a minute and a half to go.  
"Goodness, Tommy, why all the tears?" Mary exclaimed as she entered the room. "Oh, no, you're in time out." Mary raised an eyebrow at [Y/N]. "What did he do?"  
"I told him no, and he had a little melt down, so he earned himself a time out." [Y/N] answered, firming her voice on the last part for Tommy's benefit.   
Tommy continued to cry, but now turned in his chair to reach his little arms out to Mary. "I good boy, Nana. I good boy!"  
"Mary is not your Nana, and you are still in time out, so face the wall, buddy." [Y/N] said firmly.  
"I don't mind him calling me Nana. He's called me that before..." Mary interjected, pausing when [Y/N] narrowed her [E/C] eyes.  
"That's not your call, Mary." [Y/N] snapped back, her voice rising slightly as her posture became rigid. "He had a Nana, but she died. And you weren't her." [Y/N] glared at her. "You don't get to just step into our lives and take over, so butt out and let me take care of my nephew."  
"[Y/N]!" Dean shouted from the doorway as he and Sam stared at them. "What the Hell? You don't talk to my mother like that!"  
"Dean..." Mary started, but Dean brushed past her and stood before [Y/N], crossing his arms. Tommy whimpered and ran to Mary, throwing his arms around her leg. Mary lifted the toddler into her arms. "Come on, Tommy, let's go read a nice book."  
"He's in time out!" [Y/N] nearly screamed, feeling herself starting to lose it. "You don't get to take him out..."  
"[Y/N], stop it!" Dean thundered. "Mom's here to help you. What is wrong with you?"  
"Uh, Dean?" Sam stepped towards his older brother, casting a quick glance and Mary and Tommy.  
"Not now, Sammy." Dean snapped, glaring at [Y/N].  
"What's wrong with me? Me?" [Y/N] was fuming. "I don't know, Dean, you tell me. After all, you're the one who decided I can't take care of Tommy, so you had to bring someone else to do it. It's not like there's anything else I'm good for." [Y/N]'s jaw clenched as she shoved past Dean and lifted a protesting Tommy from Mary's arms. "Sam, can you please shut off the timer? I'm gonna put Tommy down for a nap. I need a minute."  
"Seriously, [Y/N]?" Dean grumbled, trying to keep from shouting as his eyes fell on Tommy's watery eyes. "What are you talking about, what are you not good for?"  
"Seems like I'm not needed for anything here. Hunting? You and Sam sure as Hell don't need me." She turned and gestured with one arm to Mary. "She's got Tommy taken care of. Tommy likes her better than me. Hell, everyone likes Mary more than me. Tommy always wants to be with you or Sam instead of me, you guys are the fun ones. What's the point of me being here anymore, I'm just useless, right? I mean, that's why you asked your mother to help take care of Tommy, because I clearly can't do it! The only thing I do is tell my nephew no." [Y/N] grimaced. "That's all I'm good for, but you guys even overrule me on that. So, Dean, I'm apparently not good for anything."  
With long strides, [Y/N] carried Tommy into the hall trying to sooth him by rubbing his back, mildly shocked by her own outburst.  
\---------------  
[Y/N] sat in the rocking chair in Tommy's room watching the toddler playing with his plastic dinosaurs on the floor. He glanced at her tentatively, and [Y/N] forced herself to smile at him as reassuringly as possible, feeling guilty for the outburst that made him so wary. Tommy had been too upset to let [Y/N] lay him down in the crib, and she did not feel like fighting him so she allowed him to play quietly until fatigue made him drowsy.  
Dean cleared his throat from the doorway as he strode into the room with a scowl marring his features.  
"I get you're upset, but that still doesn't make it right. You crossed a line back there. That's my mother, she's family. No one disrespects my family." Dean narrowed his eyes. "We clear?"  
"Yeah, I get it, Dean." [Y/N] stood slowly, catching Tommy's wide brown eyes as he watched them. "I won't disrespect your family. Bu t what about mine? It's OK for you to spring your mother on me, and expect her to just replace mine because she's dead? And I'm just supposed to let it go?"  
"Yes!" Dean snapped, throwing his arms up before catching the pained reaction on [Y/N]'s face, her [E/C] eyes wide with the initial shock of his reply. "No, [Y/N], that's not what I meant, I just...it's just that Mom's family and you're...I mean..."  
"I'm not." [Y/N] gritted out as if the words tasted bitter. "That's what you were gonna say. I get it Dean, I don't matter as much as Mary does. After all, I ain't family."  
"That's not..." Dean started as he stepped towards [Y/N].  
Sam cleared his throat, making [Y/N] and Dean turn to find Sam and Mary watching them. Mary moved to Dean and rest a hand on his shoulder but Dean shrugged away from her. "Dean, wait..."  
"Listen, [Y/N], I ain't gonna stand by and let you treat my mother that way." Dean thundered. Tommy whimpered and tugged on the eldest Winchester brother's pant leg, offering him a blue plastic brachiosaurs toy. Dean scowled down at him. "Not now."   
"De!" Tommy insisted, still trying to hand the eldest Winchester the toy while hugging his leg. "Here, De! De! De, play!"  
"Knock it off, I ain't your father, kid!" Dean snapped at the toddler making the child flinch away.  
"Don't yell at him, Dean Winchester." [Y/N] lifted her nephew from the floor and clutched him to her as he sniffled into her shoulder. "Damn it, he only wanted to give you his toy. No one was asking you to be his dad."  
Dean's jaw tensed, his shoulders stiffening as he stared at [Y/N]. His eyes widened as he watched her comfort Tommy as she cast a glare his way. Dean grimaced and turned away, exhaling from his nose and shaking his head as he stormed out of the room, brushing gruffly past his mother and brother without a word.  
[Y/N] glared out the doorway for another moment before her eyes began to well up with tears. She blinked several times to keep them from falling. Mary nudged Sam and nodded toward [Y/N] and Tommy. Sam nodded and held his arms out to Tommy who leaned towards the tall man, stretching his little arms to him.   
"Dean didn't mean it, [Y/N]. Just give him time to cool off. Let me take Tommy for a bit, go relax for a little while." Sam hooked his large hands under the toddler's arms as [Y/N] nodded and released Tommy.  
"Thanks, Sam. I think I'll go lay down for a while." [Y/N] forced a half hearted grin before her eyes fell on Mary. Guilt grew in the pit of her stomach, and [Y/N] lowered her eyes as she passed Mary on her way out of the room. "Sorry, Mary, I didn't mean to go off on you. Dean was right, I was out of line."  
[Y/N] stepped out of the room and down the hall without waiting for Mary to respond. She closed herself up in her room, falling backwards on her bed with frustrated sigh. Dean saw her and Tommy as outsiders, Dean even rejected Tommy to his face. [Y/N] was devastated and she worried that her outburst had ruined things with Dean. A soft knock at her door pulled [Y/N] from her worries.  
[Y/N] sighed and made her way to the door, opening it to find Mary on the other side. Mary offered her a sympathetic smile, much to [Y/N]'s relief.  
"I'm sorry, too. I wasn't trying to encroach on your family, [Y/N]. I just wanted to help you out a little. I wish Dean had discussed it with you, at least then you could have told him your concerns." Mary sighed and gave [Y/N] a quick hug. "Dean meant well, he just went about it the wrong way." Mary pat [Y/N]'s shoulder. "I get why you were so upset. But, maybe you'll consider giving us a second chance? I'm pretty sure we can set this right."  
"I suppose I could do that." [Y/N] nodded, smiling a little.   
"Great. I could use a little girl time, and I'm guessing you could too, so what do you say to lunch?" Mary grinned. "I could really use a bit of normal."  
\---------------  
"And it's OK to let him cry it out at nap time, he usually gives up after five minutes." [Y/N] sipped her iced tea, her [E/C] eyes watching Mary's face as she lowered her glass. Mary had asked for a rundown of the rules for caring for Tommy, and [Y/N] was quick to list them. Mary looked disappointed, so [Y/N] decided to offer some leniency as an peace offering. "But, seeing as Tommy has dubbed you a Nana, you can sneak in extra treats and stories and so on as you see fit as long as it isn't for something I just told him no."  
"I think I can work with that." Mary laughed.  
"Mary?" [Y/N] pushed a strand of her [H/L], [H/C] hair behind her ear. "I was wondering... well, do you think I'm raising Tommy wrong?"  
Mary looked concerned for a moment before reaching across the small table to squeeze [Y/N]'s hand. "You're doing just fine, [Y/N]. Tommy is a pretty happy toddler."  
"After that hunt with the chimera, I just worry I'm not good enough to care for Tommy. I'm not doing right by him. And I'm pretty sure Dean thinks so, too." [Y/N] frowned and picked at the linen table cloth. "I don't wanna mess him up."  
"There is no way Dean thinks that. He told me he and Sam put you in a tough spot, and you couldn't get a sitter. He said Tommy was in the Impala and you all felt he would be safe there. And, when he wasn't, you were the one to put yourself between him and the chimera." Mary stared into [Y/N]'s eyes. "Maybe taking him on that hunt wasn't the best of ideas, but you defended that little boy as fiercely as any mother in momma bear mode, so I think you've proven yourself. And don't you go thinking my boys think otherwise."  
[Y/N] forced a smile, and Mary rolled her eyes with a small laugh.  
"You think I never made a parenting mistake?" Mary shook her head. "When Dean was two I left him alone in his room to play for a few minutes, only to come back to find him stuck at the top of his book shelf in tears. Sam and Dean don't have it figured out either. Dean bribes Tommy with candy. Sam can hardly get a diaper to stay on Tommy, and Dean pulls a disappearing act if that sweet baby so much as looks gassy, but you handle all of that every day. Listen, I know John took the boys on occasional hunts when they were young, maybe not Tommy's age, but they were still young and they both survived to adulthood." Mary smirked. "Tommy's fine, and I think he'll turn out just fine with you raising him. Stop worrying."   
"Yeah, well that will be Tommy's only hunt experience. I don't want him hunting, if I can avoid it." [Y/N] said wryly. She sighed heavily. "Dean and I had a big argument about that hunt, and now this. We've had some other memorable ones before, too. Sometimes I think Dean would be happier if I was someone else. Someone who wouldn't cause so many fights."   
"[Y/N], stop it." Mary shook her head. "You and Dean are good together. You're both stubborn and you love each other. You're a good fit. I'd be worried if you didn't have fights. Hunting is stressful, and raising a toddler is stressful. You are doing both. And dealing with my stubborn son. You've got a whole mess of stress." The Winchester matriarch laughed. "I think you're doing alright. Even John and I had fights about raising Dean, and Sam, when I got pregnant again. We always worked it out. Seems like you and Dean do, too, seeing as you're still putting up with him. Now come on, we may as well get in a supply run while we're out."  
\--------------  
Dean took a long pull from his beer as he ruminated in one of the lounge chairs in the Dean Cave. He replayed the day's earlier events in his head, trying to understand why he said what he did to [Y/N]. He did not mean to push her and Tommy away by making [Y/N] feel like they did not matter to him. And he never meant to yell at Tommy. Dean ran a hand down his face when a small noise at the door caused his head to turn to find Tommy watching him, clutching one of Dean's flannel shirts in his tiny hand as he held it against his cheek, sucking on the thumb on his free hand. Tommy had taken to grabbing flannels from the floor of Sam and Dean's rooms whenever he was feeling anxious. [Y/N] never left her clothes on the floor when she undressed, or Tommy would probably add her clothes to his treasures. It was not unusual for the brothers to find missing shirts in Tommy's toy chest or crib. Dean was relieved to see one of his shirts in Tommy's hand as the browned eyed toddler watched the eldest Winchester brother.  
"Hey, buddy. C'mere." Dean softly called to Tommy, opening his arms and reaching towards the little boy who slowly approached him. He lifted the toddler on his lap and was surprised when Tommy threw his small arms around Dean's neck.  
"Sorry, De." Tommy almost whispered. "De mad?"  
"I'm ain't mad, buddy." Dean wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Tommy. You weren't doing anything bad, you're a good boy."  
"Mama bad?" Tommy timidly asked, hiding his face in Dean's shoulder.  
"No, your momma ain't bad." Dean's face contorted as he held in a laugh at the realization of how his words came out. "It was just an argument, buddy. But don't worry, I'm gonna make it right with her."  
Tommy snuggled into Dean's chest and fiddled with one of the buttons on the older man's shirt. Dean picked up the remote to the TV and started flipping through channels to find something for Tommy to watch until the boy was ready to go down for his nap. Dean glanced down and chuckled seeing a bit of cheese sauce dried in the corner of Tommy's mouth.  
"What did Sammy make you for lunch?" Dean asked, settling on a "Scooby Doo" rerun.  
"Ammy make mac chee!" Tommy cheered. "Mac chee yummy!" He pointed at the TV, eyes wide. "Cooby Doo, De? De watch, too?"  
"Yeah, buddy, I'm gonna watch with you." Dean chuckled as Tommy got comfortable in Dean's arms. Dean spread the flannel shirt over Tommy like a blanket. Tommy popped his thumb back in his mouth, intently focused on the TV, one hand curled around one of the shirt's sleeves.  
\-------------  
"Dean, you in there, man? Do you have Tommy with you? It's time for his nap." Sam called, hearing the TV on in the Dean Cave. Not getting a response, Sam entered the room and chuckled at the sight that greeted him.  
Dean had reclined the chair and lightly snored away, his arms wrapped protectively around the slumbering form of Tommy. The toddler was nestled against the older hunter's chest, snuggled under a flannel shirt, his thumb loosely resting in his mouth.   
Sam pulled his cell phone from his pocket and snapped a photo, promptly texting it to [Y/N] with a smirk. He did not plan on letting Dean hear the end of this, but at least he no longer need to worry about putting Tommy down for a nap.  
\-------------  
"We're back, and we brought dinner." Mary called as she and [Y/N] entered the bunker, each hauling a few bags into the kitchen. She grabbed the bag of take out burgers. "They're probably in the library."  
"Go, Mary, I've got this." [Y/N] offered, still a little concerned about facing Dean, even if she and Mary were on the same page. "This won't take too long."   
Mary gave her a squeeze on the shoulder, offering [Y/N] a sympathetic smile before heading to the library. A happy squeal rang out from the library only seconds later. [Y/N] shook her head with a small smile as she began unloading food from the bags on the counter, listening to the faint sounds of Sam and Dean attempting to talk to Mary while Tommy clamored for her attention. There was laughter from both brothers, and hearing it helped ease some of [Y/N]'s tension as she started putting food in the large refrigerator.  
"There you are," breathed Dean from the doorway, his voice so low that [Y/N] did not hear. Dean watched as she returned to the counter, still not noticing him. Dean moved quietly across the kitchen and gently rested his hand on [Y/N]'s back, resisting the urge to kiss her cheek. "Hey, let me help you with those."   
Dean and [Y/N] silently put the rest of the groceries away, Dean occasionally stealing a worried glance at his girlfriend who was doing her best to avoid eye contact with him. Dean swallowed hard and returned to placing things in the refrigerator.   
"Dean?" [Y/N]'s voice was hesitant. Dean closed the refrigerator door but did not turn to her. [Y/N] still stared at her hands resting the counter, not looking his way anyway. "I apologized and sorted things out with Mary. So we're OK. Uh, Mary and I, I mean."  
Dean exhaled through his nose and slowly turned to [Y/N]. She stood at the counter, her head lowered in defeat. Dean walked up to her and lightly touched her shoulder, making [Y/N] turn her head to look at him.  
"I'm sorry, Dean." Her voice was soft, worried.  
"We need to talk." Dean said slowly, but, seeing how quickly [Y/N]'s face fell, he regretted his choice of words. "I mean we need to talk to each other more." Dean took her hands in his, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I wished you'd said something before it started a fight. But at least you said something. And I'm sorry, too, baby. If I'd talked to you about bringing Mom in to help, we wouldn't have had this argument to begin with. And I'll talk with Sammy. We'll figure out a way to get you back into hunting with us again." He leaned in, planting a feather light kiss to her cheek. "I promised I wasn't gonna sideline you, but I guess I did without meaning to, so I'm gonna make that right, too."  
"I'm sorry, Dean. I said a lot of things I didn't mean today. I just thought you thought I was screwing up with Tommy. I mean I kind of already did, so..." [Y/N] lowered her eyes.  
"[Y/NN], stop. You know I hate when anyone talks about you like that. Even you." Dean reassured [Y/N], pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "You're doing a great job with Tommy. That's why Tommy insists on calling you Mama. If anyone is screwing up with Tommy, it's me. Dad didn't exactly do great with me and Sammy, and I don't wanna to the same thing to Tommy. Even I'm pissed that I yelled at him today. Tommy deserves a good dad."  
"Dean, Tommy adores you. He always wants to be like De." [Y/N] giggled. "You're a good enough father figure for him, even if you don't want to be his dad officially, so please don't take that from him. He loves you. We both do." [Y/N] pressed her lips to Dean's, wrapping her arms around him as he rest his hands on her hips, returning the kiss. "If Tommy can decide I'm good enough to be Mama, let him decide you're good enough to be De."  
"Yeah? And if he ever decided to call me Dada, would you be good with that, sweetheart?" Dean asked, keeping a smirk on his face, but waiting in earnest for her answer.  
"Over the moon." [Y/N] kissed Dean's cheek, her [E/C] eyes nearly sparkling at the thought. "But right now I really just wanna dig into one of those burgers."  
"Too bad you forgot the pie, [Y/NN]." Dean said, taking her hand and leading her out of the kitchen.  
"Oh, I didn't forget the pie, I just put it away before you came in." It was [Y/N]'s turn to smirk as she pulled past Dean in the hallway and made her way to the library. "Have you forgotten how well I know you?"   
Dean stared after her for a moment before following his girlfriend with a low chuckle. "One of these days I'm gonna have to marry her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last planned chapter for this story arc, but if more Tommy centered fluff comes to mind, it will go here.


	5. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some new faces become part of the Reader's life when Dean sends her and Tommy to stay with Jody as the Winchester's deal with Lucifer and the possible birth of a nephilim.

The slam of the door echoed down the corridors of the bunker, making Dean Winchester wince as he massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers. Across the table, his younger brother lifted his head from the book he was reading, raising his eyebrows.  
"She still not talking to you?" Sam asked, a hint of sympathy in his voice as he watched Dean shake his head.  
"Dude, she won't even look at me today." Dean scowled at the table, tapping the wooden surface absentmindedly with one finger. "I knew this would piss her off, but I just thought she'd shout at me and then we'd move past it after a couple hours."  
"Well, she did do a lot of shouting." Sam offered, earning a glare from his older brother. "[Y/N]'s barely said anything to me or Mom, so we aren't exactly on great terms with her either, Dean."  
"It's been two days." Dean grumbled. "She hates me."  
"C'mon, man, you know that's not true." Sam sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "She's angry, and I don't blame her, but she never said she hated you."  
"I ain't letting her go, Sammy. Lucifer is loose out there and his spawn is coming. There's no guarantee we'll survive this one, and I ain't gonna be responsible for Tommy losing his mama."  
"Dean!" Sam Winchester rolled his eyes with a groan. "Dude, I've got your back on this. So does Mom. It's why we've been sending her on solo salt and burns and random interviews out of state. It's why we've been doing research behind her back. That's why [Y/N] is avoiding us. We were all trying to keep her out of this, but we hurt her in the process. She's angry, and she has every right to be." Sam stood and clapped a hand on Dean's shoulder. "We're going to make it up to her when this is over, but we deceived her. [Y/N] is hurt, and she's working through it in her own way. Just let her have her space."  
"Well, she's gonna have plenty of space when I take her to Jody's place. Damn it, she's probably gonna hunt with Claire just to get back at me." Dean shook his head, but couldn't hide his slight smirk. "She is freaking stubborn."  
Mary walked into the room holding a laughing toddler in her arms. Tommy [Y/LN] squirmed and twisted in her arms to reach out to Sam.  
"Hi, 'Ammy!" Tommy shrieked happily, leaning into the tall man's arms.  
"Hey, Tommy." Sam chuckled hugging the toddler to his chest. Dean stood and ruffled the child's brown hair with a grin.  
"He was helping [Y/N] pack, and she needed a break." Mary smiled softly at the sight of her sons fawning over the little boy to make the child laugh. "Sam's right, Dean. [Y/N] is coming around, slowly. She just has to work through it. You have to let her."  
"Yeah, I know. I was just hoping she'd be speaking to me again before we had to takeoff." Dean sighed, hoisting Tommy into his arms. Tommy wrapped his little arms around the older man's neck as much as his reach allowed, and Dean grinned. "Anyone seen my bag of gummy bears?"  
\--------------  
[Y/N] [Y/LN] swore under her breath as she lugged three duffle bags down the hall leading to the garage. When Dean told her that she and Tommy were leaving the bunker in only a matter of days, he failed to give her any indication of how long they would be gone, or if they were even going to be allowed back. After their shouting match, she'd called Dean a few choice names and stormed off with Tommy, leaving the bunker for several hours trying to cool off. She ignored Dean's calls and texts, fully expecting another screaming match when she got back. But when she returned, Dean stayed in his room and left her alone. Sam poked his head in while she was putting Tommy to bed, and offered a brief apology but remained firm that it was best that [Y/N] and Tommy leave the bunker. [Y/N] had pushed him out the door with a glare before storming off to her own room and slamming the door. So now she struggled lugging duffel bags crammed with what she hoped would be enough for their time away from the bunker, not bothering to ask one of the Winchester brothers to help her. She was surprised when Sam came up behind her, taking the two heaviest duffel bags from her with an apologetic smile.  
"I know you're still mad, [Y/N], and you've got every right to be. We're just trying to do the right thing for you and Tommy." He sighed when she remained silent. "We shouldn't have gone behind your back, and I'm sorry for that, but we want you two safe."  
[Y/N] sighed, rolling her [E/C] eyes.  
"Sam, I know what the risks of hunting are. I know eventually it ends badly, almost always. I'm okay with that." She frowned, pushed a lock of errant [H/L], [H/C] hair behind her ear. "You guys don't need to shelter me from everything out there."  
"What about Tommy?" Sam asked quietly. "Is it fair for him to go on without any family left just because you don't want to listen?"  
"Damn it, Sam!" [Y/N] furrowed her brow. "Did you ever stop to think Tommy is why I need to keep doing this? I want him to be able to grow up safe." She shook her head. "Maybe you're right about this thing with Lucifer, I can't handle this level of angel crap, but you should have a least let me help with the research. I get that Dean wants to protect me from everything, and he's sometimes right about things being more than I can handle. But research is not going to kill me."  
Sam said nothing, just staring into [Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes for a moment before sighing and nodding slightly.  
"I know." Sam confessed, walking towards the garage. "Dean just worried that if you knew...he was worried there'd be no way of keeping you from getting involved in this one. I did, too."  
"I get it, Sam. I know how Dean can get." [Y/N] laughed dryly as she dropped her bag beside the black Impala. "And how stubborn I am."  
Sam smirked as he opened the trunk and put the bags in.  
"Look, forget Dean for a moment. I just need to know you're both safe on this one, [Y/N]. You're my friend, and I need to know I'll see you again if I survive this thing." Sam turned to [Y/N], hesitating trying to read her face before pulling her into a tight embrace. "You and Tommy, you're the reasons we need to be the ones to do this, and you're the ones we all want to come home to. I need you to know that."  
[Y/N] wrapped her arms around Sam's waist.  
"Don't worry, Sam. Tommy and I are going where Dean thinks we'll be safest. We'll be fine." She looked up at him. "Just tell me one thing. Was this plan Dean's idea?"  
\---------------  
Dean glanced at [Y/N] in the back seat of the Impala. She refused to look at him, but now it was due to Tommy's crying and straining against his car seat restraints because he wanted to play in the front seat. [Y/N] looked more than just frazzled and Dean shook his head as he drove. Tommy had been crying for a solid twenty minutes, and Dean found his own patience wearing thin as he started regretting feeding the boy so many gummy bears.  
"That's it!" Dean grumbled, pulling into a motel parking lot even though it was only a little after two in the afternoon. "I ain't driving any further if he's gonna keep this up." Dean opened the driver's side door and walked around to Tommy's door as [Y/N] watched him, but Dean's face was devoid of anger as he smirked at the teary eyed toddler. "C'mon, buddy, let's stretch those legs."  
Tommy looked up at Dean with a watery gaze, popping his thumb in his mouth as Dean unbuckled the car seat's restraints. The elder Winchester brother slid his hands under the child's arms and hoisted him out of the car seat, chancing a quick glance at [Y/L]. Seeing her [E/C] eyes brimming with tears she tried to hide by turning her head away, Dean frowned. He shifted Tommy into the crook of his arm and shut the door, pretending not to see [Y/N] scrub at her eyes with the palm of her hand as he took Tommy around to her door and opened it.  
"Why do that, De?" Tommy asked, staring up at Dean as he pointed a little finger at the open door.  
"Because we're gentleman, buddy. And it's nice to open doors for nice people like your mama." Dean explained, extending a hand to a befuddled [Y/N]. "C'mon, [Y/NN], I got this guy. You deserve a break."  
[Y/N] hesitated, but placed her hand in Dean's allowing him to assist her out of the Impala.  
"We gennaman, Mama!" Tommy announced while throwing his little hands above his head, grinning broadly. "De play now?"  
"Tommy and I'll get us a room, you just grab what you need for a hot shower and a nap. I'll bring the bags in and take Tommy to the playground across the street and tire him out so he'll nap. When you wake up we'll grab dinner. You just relax, sweetheart." Dean pulled [Y/N] in with one arm and kissed her temple. He then turned toward the front office before she could object. "We'll be right back with that room key!"  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] woke up with a gasp dying on her lips as her eyes focused on the motel room ceiling. The soft light of the TV flickered in the dimly lit room, and the faint voices of the Scooby gang reached her ears. The images of her nightmare were fading as she regained her bearings and sighed, running a hand down her face.  
"Baby?" Dean's voice was thick coming from the bed next to hers.  
[Y/N] rolled onto her side and smiled faintly at the sight of Tommy fast asleep, thumb in his mouth, snuggled against Dean's chest, with one of Dean's arms slung protectively over his little shoulders. Dean turned his head to look at her.  
"Nightmare?" Dean whispered, frowning when [Y/N] nodded. He reached his free hand out to her. "C'mere, [Y/NN]."  
[Y/N] rolled out of her bed, taking Dean's hand eager for the familiar feeling of security his arms always brought, but halted before getting into his bed as guilt crept into her mind.  
"Dean..." She bit down on her lip, unable to meet his eyes.  
"Hey, don't." Dean squeezed her hand to get her to look at him. When she finally meet his emerald gaze, Dean smiled at her. "You got no reason to feel bad, sweetheart. I'm the one who messed up, you have every right to be mad. I get it." He ran his thumb lightly across the back of her hand. "I wish you'd forgive me, but I get it."  
[Y/N] crawled into bed next to Dean, curling into his side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head tenderly. She rested her head against his shoulder with a soft sniffle, lightly running a hand along Tommy's cheek.  
"Talk to me, baby." Dean sighed, running his hand along [Y/N]'s arm.  
"You've been trying to fix things with me and I've just been a bitch about things..." [Y/N] started.  
"[Y/N]!" Dean hissed through clenched teeth, watching his voice to keep from waking the sleeping toddler. "No one talks about you like that to me, not even you. Got it?" Dean sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I told you, you have every right to be mad. I want to keep you guys safe, but maybe my plan wasn't the best way to handle things. So, don't you dare try to shoulder the blame or put yourself down for any of this." Dean held her closer, rubbing his hand along her shoulder. "You deserve better."  
"Listen, Dean, I'm still mad about this, but I think I get it. And we'll discuss it later... when it's safe for us to go back home." [Y/N] gazed at Tommy, still peacefully sleeping on Dean's chest, then her eyes lifted to gaze up at Dean, and she kissed his cheek lovingly. "You really do try. I can see that. So, yeah, I guess you're forgiven. Just don't go doing this again, got it?"  
"Yes, ma'am." Dean said, a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest causing Tommy to stir and yawn groggily, before opening his brown eyes and smiling at [Y/N]. "Oops. Tommy's up. So, who's hungry?"  
\--------------  
[Y/N] thought Jody Mills was the best thing that happened to her in a long time. She took to Tommy almost as soon as she picked the toddler up, and she and [Y/N] cracked open a few beers as soon as Dean left. Jody let her [Y/N] vent her frustrations and offered a few insights as to dealing with Dean when he put his walls up. She, Alex, and Patience volunteered to take turns watching Tommy, allowing [Y/N] to hunt with Claire. Dean was not exactly thrilled by that particular update, but Jody intervened and managed to get Dean to agree it was better to have [Y/N] and Claire hunting together and watching each other's backs than having them hunt solo. [Y/N] was amazed that Jody understood Dean so well. It was three weeks of bliss.  
Until it dawned on her why Jody understood Dean. Jody Mills was Claire's very own version of an overly protective Dean Winchester. Sure, there were several differences between Jody and Dean, but that protective nature was ever present. And [Y/N] was getting an earful of it now that Claire handed her the phone.  
"Jody, relax, I've got Claire's back. You know that." [Y/N] rolled her [E/C] eyes to the overcast sky. It was just like talking to Dean, except that Jody was fretting over Claire. [Y/N] briefly wondered if Sam felt like this when he tried to intervene on [Y/N]'s behalf.  
"Yeah, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost her, [Y/N]. Can't you convince her taking on a nest of vampires is a bad idea?" Jody pleaded.  
"You know what those vamps are doing to people, you know we can't just walk away. But I will make sure to get Claire home safe. You have my word." [Y/N] gave Claire a quick thumbs up when Jody sighed and finally agreed with a curt okay. "I promise, she'll be fine."  
"I'm holding you to it. Both of you better come home in one piece." Jody added sternly. "Don't make me explain this one to Dean if it goes bad."  
"Yes ma'am." [Y/N] grinned as Jody's line disconnected.  
"Wow." Claire laughed, fixing her blonde ponytail. "Better you than me."  
"She's as bad as Dean!" [Y/N] laughed, nudging the younger woman in the arm. "But she green lighted us on ganking some vamps, so let's do this."  
\---------------  
It was going so well, too well. Then everything went sideways when a vampire hid in an air vent in a room Claire thought she cleared. It crept up behind her and was readying itself to attack when [Y/N] came around the corner, giving a shout to Claire before tackling the vampire to the ground. The vampire bit down on exposed part of her neck just above the collar bone before [Y/N] grabbed a fistful of his hair and wedged her machete between them shoving upwards, into the monster's throat.  
Claire grabbed the machete from behind, yanking it up and leaving the vampire's severed hear to roll across the floor.  
"Shit." She exhaled as she fell to her knees, using her hands to try to stop the blood flowing from the gash in [Y/N]'s neck. "It looks bad."  
"No shit. At least he didn't turn me." [Y/N] gritted out through clenched teeth. "Son of bitch got it worse though."  
"Now who sounds like Dean?" Claire smirked, pressing a bandana to [Y/N]'s wound. "Let's get you back to Alex, you need to be patched up."  
\----------------  
"What happened to her!" Sam shouted, yanking open the passenger door to stare in horror at the blood soaked bandana [Y/N] weakly pressed to her neck. "Hey, easy, [Y/N]. It's just me. Let's get you inside." He eased [Y/N] into his arms and pulled her out of the car. "Claire, run interference on Dean. He can't see her like this. Not now."  
Claire nodded and ran into the house to keep Dean at bay until Alex was able to patch the injured hunter's wound.  
"S-Sam?" [Y/N] asked, certain she was imagining things. "Why are you here?"  
"Hey, [Y/N]. We got back from...well, you know. And Dean couldn't wait to see you. So, surprise." Sam gave her a weak smile, before [Y/N]'s eyes rolled back and her head fell against his chest as she went limp in his arms. "Alex!"  
Sam ran to the house with long strides, [Y/N] held tightly in his arms.  
\--------------  
The sounds of a tiny voice reached [Y/N]'s ears as she groggily tried to remember where she was. She was in a warm bed with a soft pillow and she was fairly certain Tommy was trying to wake her, but she thought Tommy was at Jody's house.  
"Ma? Mama?" Tommy's voice became clearer in the fog of her slumber.  
"Hey, buddy, what are you doing in here?" Dean's voice was gentle.  
"Mama up, De?" Tommy asked.  
"Not yet, buddy. C'mon, let's let your mama sleep." Dean spoke softly. "She, uh, wasn't feeling so hot last night. Let's go see what Jody's got for breakfast."  
Tommy suddenly giggled and Dean's heavy footfalls carried those giggles out of the room, the door closing with a soft catch or the latch.  
[Y/N] groaned and rolled to her side, her [E/C] eyes blinking several times to clear the sleep from her eyes as she looked around the room she had called hers for the last few weeks. She could hear voices talking in the kitchen, including some very familiar male voices. [Y/N] sat up in the bed, the blankets sliding off her to reveal someone had changed her from the clothes she wore earlier. Now she was wearing her sleep shorts and one of Dean's flannel shirts, one that she knew she did not pack. She smiled, knowing Dean had dressed her while she slept.  
"Dean is not going to be happy with me. Guess I better get this over with." [Y/N] mused, raking her fingers through her [H/L], [H/C] hair, trying to control her bed head before heading to the kitchen. Her neck was still soar where Alex had stitched her wound, and [Y/N] absently laid her hand over the bandage as she made her way through the house toward the voices of the others.  
Sam was the first to see [Y/N] and stood from the table to help her to a free chair, giving her a quick hug before letting her sit. Patience set a hot mug of coffee before her, with a gentle smile on her face. Jody bounced Tommy on her hip as she dished scrambled eggs on several plates. Alex and Claire sat at the table drinking from steaming mugs of their own, while Dean leaned against the counter nursing a mug of coffee. Dean set his mug on the counter and made his way to [Y/N], his jaw set. He sighed, pulling her up from the chair and pulling her to his chest in a tight embrace, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head.  
"I wanted you to stay here 'cause I thought you'd be safe. Guess you had other ideas." Dean chuckled lightly. "I'm glad you're okay, [Y/NN]. We'll talk about it later."  
"Dean, I just..." [Y/N] started, looking up at Dean.  
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Claire already set me straight." Dean cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb tracing lightly along her cheekbone. He leaned down, his lips capturing hers with a deep, lingering kiss. He pulled back slowly, smiling at her fondly. "I ain't mad, baby. You did what had to be done. You did good."  
"Why are you here?" [Y/N] asked, confused that Dean did not call ahead.  
"We're bringing you and Tommy home. We...we have a lot to catch you up on, [Y/NN]." Dean forced a smile, but his eyes grew distant. "I need you guys to be home, I just need you, baby. That is, if you want to come back."  
"There's no place like home." [Y/N] said, pulling him back down to kiss him again. "I'm glad you're back."  
\-----------------  
The rumble of the Impala's engine had long since lulled Tommy to sleep, giving Sam and Dean plenty of opportunity to explain that Lucifer had pulled Mary with him into another world, and Lucifer's nephilim son was born, as a young man who went by the name Jack and liked nougat. Sam seemed a little warmer about him than Dean did. It was when Dean mentioned Castiel was watching the nephilim known as Jack at the bunker that [Y/N] was unsure of returning to the bunker.  
"Tommy is going to love Jack, he really is a good kid." Sam said, ignoring Dean's eye roll. "He doesn't want to be like Lucifer."  
"Sure, Sam. I'll give him a chance, just don't think I'm gonna let him babysit anytime soon." [Y/N] said, cautiously. Dean exhaled through his nose. "I'll be watching him like a hawk when Tommy's around."  
"[Y/NN], you're not gonna like this, but Sammy and I are taking Jack with us on hunts. I want you staying at the bunker, away from him when we aren't around." Dean said firmly, watching her in the rearview mirror. "Sweetheart, I know you hate when I do this, but this is a nephilim."  
Sam huffed quietly, but said nothing.  
"Yeah, this one I get, Dean. I'm not gonna fight you on it." [Y/N] frowned. "At least until Jack proves himself trustworthy. If he does, we will revisit this conversation."  
"Fine." Dean frowned and slowly nodded. "If."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure I love this chapter (it took forever to write), but I wanted to work in more characters and get a little more caught up with the time line, mostly because I love Jody and want to write stories with her (and at some point Donna, too), and have some Jack & Tommy adventures planned for an offshoot story line. 
> 
> (Forgive any inconsistencies, there was whisky involved tonight. It's a fanfic, so it's still a bit of an AU....that just tries really hard to stick to the canon story line.)


	6. Priorities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy has a high fever. The reader takes him to the ER in the middle of the night, without telling Dean.

[Y/N] - your name  
[Y/LN] - your last name  
[Y/NN] - your nickname  
[E/C] - eye color  
[H/C] - hair color  
[H/L] - hair length

The black Impala sped down the road with a roar, its headlights piercing the night. A whimper came from the small form of Tommy in the car seat in the back. He was double wrapped in blankets, but the toddler still shivered. Tommy started to cry softly.  
"Hang on, buddy," [Y/N] [Y/LN] coaxed as she pressed on the gas pedal, urging Baby to go faster. "We're almost there, I promise."  
[Y/N]'s cell phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it. She knew it was Dean Winchester, and it did not take a genius to know he was pissed. It was two in the morning and she did not wake him to tell him where she was going or that she was leaving the bunker at all. Waking up to find Baby was not in the garage probably did not help. [Y/N] was not looking forward to the shouting match that would happen when she finally got back to the bunker.  
"Don't cry, Tommy." [Y/N] begged. "You're gonna feel better soon."  
[Y/N] steered the Impala into the hospital parking lot following the sign pointing to the Emergency Room.  
\---------------  
"Where the Hell is she?" Dean shouted, slamming his fist on the wooden table in the library. "She's not answering, Sammy!"  
"Damn it, Dean, calm down!" Sam gritted out to his brother, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't like the last time. Tommy's fever probably got worse. [Y/N] was going to take him to see a doctor in the morning because she was worried. She probably decided not to wait and went to the ER."  
"Why didn't she tell me? And she took Baby!" Dean's jaw tensed.  
"Dude, she needed a way to get there, and her car isn't drivable with that flat." Sam reasoned, stifling a yawn with one hand. "Would you rather she take Tommy out in one of the older cars? One of the unmaintained older cars?"  
"Seriously, Sam?" Dean growled. "She took off without tell me! It ain't safe, we know what's out there. She knows what's out there. And she ain't taking my calls. How are we supposed to know if they're OK if she won't talk to us?"  
"What is the matter? I heard Dean yelling." Jack said, tilting his head slightly as he stood in the doorway. "Is [Y/N] OK, Sam?"  
"I'm sure [Y/N] and Tommy are fine." Sam sighed. "Dean's just mad that she took his car without giving him a chance to stop her."  
"If you ain't gonna help, then I gotta put a tire on a car." Dean paused, staring at his brother a moment before rolling his eyes and throwing his head back with a groan before storming out of the room.  
"Dean! You're not going after her!" Sam called after him.  
\---------------  
[Y/N] cut the engine to the Impala and sighed, her hands sliding off the steering wheel and falling limply into her lap. Tommy dozed in his car seat, giving her a moment of peace. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent Sam a quick text to tell him she was back. In the hospital, after Dean's fifth attempt to call her, [Y/N] called Sam to give him an update since he would at least give her a chance to speak before getting upset. At least he never started a conversation by shouting at her, and he promised to corral Dean long enough for [Y/N] to tuck Tommy in for a little more sleep. With a soft groan, [Y/N] opened the driver's side door and walked around the car to get the sleeping toddler.   
She carried him carefully through the corridors of the bunker so as not to rouse him. The door to Dean's room opened and Dean stepped into the hall, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared her down with his unwavering green eyes. His jaw tensed as his gaze shifted to Tommy sleeping in [Y/N]'s arms.  
"I promised Sammy I wouldn't, not around the kid." Dean nodded down the hall towards Tommy's room. "Go. Put him to bed. But then we're doing this."  
\----------------  
"What the Hell, [Y/N]? You sneak out in the middle of the night and take my care without a word to me?" Dean shouted, his eyes narrowing. "Why?"  
"Tommy's fever got higher, Dean. He need a doctor!" [Y/N] shouted back. "I couldn't take my car, so, yeah, I took yours. But Tommy needed to go to the freaking hospital!"  
"I'm not... you took Baby! You didn't even tell me, [Y/N]!" Dean threw his arms up. "Why didn't you say something!"  
"He was burning up, Dean! I wasn't gonna waste time... I did what I had to." [Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you were more worried about your stupid car than you were about Tommy! I thought... You know what, forget it. I am done. Go ahead and be pissed all you want. Your car is fine. So is Tommy, not that you care."  
[Y/N] stormed out of the library as Sam was coming down the corridor. Sam stepped aside to let her pass before shaking his head at Dean.  
"Man, you gotta get your priorities straight. I thought you liked having Tommy around." Sam looked at his older brother, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "[Y/N] was just trying to take care of the little guy."  
"She...she called Baby stupid, Sam." Dean frowned, shaking his head as he collapsed into a chair.  
"Why do I bother talking to you?" Sam groaned, following [Y/N]'s retreat.  
\-------------------  
"Are you sure, Sam?" [Y/N] asked as she tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand. "He gets cranky when he doesn't feel well. He will put up a fight when you try to give him medicine."  
"Sounds like Dean when he's sick," laughed Sam as he took the bottle of Tommy's medicine from [Y/N] as Tommy peered up at him from the floor where he was playing with a plastic car. "I don't mind watching Tommy while you sleep. You're exhausted. I got him, don't worry."  
[Y/N] sighed with a tired smile and slowly nodded her head.  
"You be good for Sam, buddy." [Y/N] tousled the toddler's hair as he wrapped his arms around Sam's leg. "Just try to keep him out of Dean's way. He's in a foul enough mood already. We don't need to add to it."  
Sam exhaled loudly from his nose as he stooped to lift Tommy in his arms. Tommy rest his head against the tall man's broad shoulder, his little fingers lightly patting Sam's hair making the older man chuckle.  
"He was worried about you two, you know that. Cut him some slack. You know how he is about that car." Sam gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "He'll get over it. At least he took care of that flat for you."  
"Look, I get it, I know how crazy he is about his car. I knew he'd be ticked about it. He has a right to be angry." [Y/N] looked wistfully at Tommy. "I just wish he asked about Tommy, that's all."  
Sam nodded, with a half hearted shrug before raising one hand and waving it down the corridor. "Go. Get some rest. Tommy will be fine. You need to take care of yourself."  
\--------------  
Tommy whined from his place on the yoga mat Sam spread out for him on the library floor, despite being surrounded by toy cars and stuffed animals and several flannel shirts Jack brought him until Sam had sent him off to watch movies on his lap top. The toddler was due for another dose of medication soon, and he was getting progressively fussier as time passed. Sam was holding off while Dean sat in the library with them, casually drinking a beer. Tommy started to whimper and Sam relented, turning to the toddler.  
"Nah, I got him, Sammy," mumbled Dean, and he leaned forward, holding his arms out to Tommy who ran to him, snuggling into Dean's chest as he coughed. Dean rubbed a hand over his back in slow circles until the small toddler settled with his head against the hunter's chest, one little hand clinging to his shirt. "Easy there, kiddo. Just relax."  
"De, I ick." Tommy whimpered and Dean leaned forward to fish one of his flannel shirts from the pile on the floor, wrapping it around the small boy.  
"Yeah, buddy, I know you're sick." Dean replied, standing, carrying Tommy around the table.  
"Dean, give him to me, he's gotta take his medicine." Sam offered.  
"I got this, Sam. It's not like this is the first time I had to give a kid his medicine." Dean smirked. Tommy hid his face making Dean chuckle as he snagged the bottle next to the book Sam was reading. He regarded the plastic tube with a spoon like end affixed to the bottle with a rubber band with a roll of his eyes. "Seems Tommy likes his medicine as much as you did. But I know what to do for that."  
"Dude, you're not gonna pinch his nose to get him to open his mouth to breathe." Sam insisted. "Not cool."  
Dean rolled his eyes with a laugh, making Tommy peek up.  
"I did that when you were seven and stubborn as Hell. I'm gonna use the trick I used when you were four. Tommy will like that one," grinned Dean as he shifted the toddler to one side as he walked out of the room.   
\----------------  
[Y/N] paused outside of the rec room dubbed the Dean Cave before opening the door to find Tommy sitting on Dean's knee, showing off one of his toy cars and wearing one of Dean's flannels as a cape. On the TV was one of Tommy's Scooby Doo DVDs paused between episodes. Dean grinned at the boy, making his eyes crinkle as he listened to the toddler's chatter. She lightly rapped on the door as she stepped into the room. Dean and Tommy looked up at her, and while Tommy smiled Dean grew somber.  
"Hey." [Y/N] offered Dean a half wave.   
"Hey." Dean echoed.  
"Sam said you took Tommy off his hands. I figured I should get his out of your hair," shrugged [Y/N] as she reached for the boy.  
"Actually," said Dean as he caught her wrist with one hand and sliding it down to hold hers, his thumb running over the back of her hand lightly, "he ain't bothering me. And we need to talk." [Y/N] glanced uneasily at Tommy, but Dean just smirked. "I ain't looking for a fight."  
"OK," sighed [Y/N]. "I'm sorry. Look, I know I shouldn't -"  
"Why don't you ever ask me to watch Tommy, [Y/N]?" Dean watched her intently as Tommy turned to him. Dean grinned down at the boy, pressing play on the remote, and lowering the volume so Tommy was distracted by his cartoons. "You ask Sam to help you out. Hell, you asked Jack to watch him that one time. You never ask me."  
"You help with Tommy." [Y/N] started, trying to think of a time she asked Dean to help her.  
"Yeah, only because I take him from Sam. Face it, [Y/NN], you don't come to me for help, not with Tommy, not with anything." Dean raised her hand to his lips, planting a kiss on the back of her hand. "You're my gal, I'm supposed to be there for you, do things for you. And I try, but you never ask me for anything."  
"What? You do plenty of things for me, Dean." [Y/N] scoffed. "And I didn't know you wanted to help out with Tommy. I thought you wouldn't want to."  
"Yeah, I do want to." Dean said. "And I want you to want me to help with him. Even with diapers. Sometimes. He's gonna start using the toilet soon, right?" Dean glanced up and caught sight of [Y/N]'s raised eyebrow. "Or not. Doesn't matter, I want to help. And that means I want you to ask me, not Sammy, but me to take Tommy, to help out. And not just to help with Tommy, I wanna do things to help you. I know you can do things for yourself, you ain't helpless. But I wanna help, to make things easier on you. Will you let me do that? Will you start actually asking me to help you? It'd take a lot of guesswork out things."  
"Yeah, I can do that," nodded [Y/N], as she pushed a strand of [H/L], [H/C] hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't realize..." She sighed and shook her head, smiling softly at Dean before leaning down and kissing his temple. "I'll start asking you when I need help."  
"[Y/NN]?" Dean asked, frowning slightly. "I wasn't pissed about you taking Baby out, I was mad that you didn't ask me to take you. I wanted to be there for you and Tommy. You didn't give me a chance. That sucked." Dean exhaled through his nose. "I need you to come to me for these things, OK?"  
"OK, Dean," agreed [Y/N]. "I can do that."  
"Good." Dean grinned. "Now sit down. It's time to Scooby Doo and chill!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will probably be moving away from this series for a little bit. I want to write some Sam/Reader stories, maybe to a couple one shots that aren't part of this series. 'This Hunting Life' might be winding down. I will come back to it and make sure to finish it up right, but I need a little change of pace.
> 
> Also, my posts will probably be more irregular for a bit. I spent a week hospitalized (great fun it was not) and am dealing with a kind of major diagnosis (also not fun) that will take a bit of adjusting to, all while trying to keep my regular activities the same. I'm not leaving, just got a lot on my plate at the moment, and I'd feel bad letting so much time go by without posting if I didn't give a reason. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me! :)


	7. The Big One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Dean's 40th birthday!
> 
> (I figured this was one I wanted to keep in the linear story line for this universe, so it's landing in this work rather than the Memories one which will be where all the rando holiday and just straight fluff stories will go in the future.)

[Y/N] - your name  
[Y/LN] - your last name  
[Y/NN] - your nickname  
[E/C] - eye color  
[H/C] - hair color  
[H/L] - hair length

[Y/N] [Y/LN] hummed to herself as she finished wrapping the antique wooden box with shiny green wrapping paper. Castiel had taken Tommy to find a gift for Dean when the toddler threw a tantrum over the realization he did not have anything to give. Granted, he initially wanted to give Dean one of his toy cars, and Castiel was the one to tell him Dean had no use for a plastic car. The angel offered to take Tommy to find a gift and [Y/N] was quick to agree. While they were out, she had time to make a cherry pie and put it in the oven to bake. Sam had coaxed Dean out of the bunker with the promise of a quick milk run a few towns over, making sure to send out the other hunters from the bizzaro universe on their own hunts, giving [Y/N] the bunker to herself to set up for Dean's birthday.  
After all that had happened over the past few months, Dean needed a break from the danger of hunting, and [Y/N] was determined to give him that, at least for one evening. She carried Dean's present to the library and placed it on the table along with the gifts from Sam, Jack, and Castiel. Earlier she hung a simple Happy Birthday banner and a few green and blue streamers to jazz up the room a little, but keeping things simple. [Y/N] pushed a strand of [H/L] [H/C] behind her ear, taking stock of the room with a satisfied smile.  
\----------------  
"Seriously, Sammy, why are we here?" Dean Winchester asked suspiciously, eyeing the triple bacon cheese burger and mountain of fries before him. They had stopped at a diner two hours out from the bunker. Sam had a similar, albeit smaller, order of food. "You didn't even get a salad, man. Why aren't we going back to the bunker?"  
"What, I thought you'd want lunch." Sam countered, picking up his burger and taking a bite. "The bunker isn't going anywhere."  
"Yeah, but you didn't see what [Y/NN] had tucked away in the in the back of the closet." Dean shrugged before digging into his meal. "And that's a birthday present that I can't wait to unwrap."  
"Dude, gross. [Y/N] is my friend, too." Sam grimaced. "I don't need to picture that."  
"Just saying, I don't want to wait too long when I've got [Y/N] waiting on me." Dean waggled his eyebrows at his younger brother. "And you really shouldn't be thinking of my girlfriend like that."  
Sam Winchester groaned.  
\--------------  
"I do not understand, [Y/N]. If you did not want Tommy to get a gift for Dean, why did you send him with me?" Castiel asked, his blue eyes searching her [E/C] ones trying to understand why she was angry with him. "Was not the idea to get a gift for Dean? For his birthday?"  
"Yes, to buy him a gift. As in to purchase it. With freakin' money!" [Y/N] shouted at the confused angel. "Not turn my nephew into a toddler shoplifter!" She exhaled loudly through her nose, rubbing her temple with two fingers. "Castiel, did you look in the envelope I gave you?"  
Castiel reached into his trench coat and removed the envelope and [Y/N] already knew all the money she had in there was untouched.  
[Y/N] rolled her eyes.  
"Tommy is not a practical gift selector." The angel added gruffly.   
\---------------  
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Dean. Happy birthday to you." [Y/N] sang as the others joined in, with Tommy clapping. She carried the pie with two lit numbered candles, a four and a zero, proudly centered on the pie. Dean rolled his eyes and scowled before laughing as [Y/N] set the pie on the table before him, planting a chaste kiss to his temple. "Happy birthday, Dean."  
"Here, Dean, open mine first." Jack handed Dean his gift. "Sam said you liked them."  
"Did he?" Dean asked with a raised brow, tearing into the wrapping paper revealing a boxed set of "All Saints' Day" movies. He grinned. "Hey, baby, we can have a movie marathon!"  
[Y/N] chuckled and nodded, she did not care what they watched if it meant down time with Dean. Castiel brought Dean his gift, and the evening proceeded in a similar fashion. Dean ended up with a nice set of car waxes, both interior and exterior kinds, and rim polish from Sam, a top shelf bottle of whiskey from Castiel, and a silver dagger from [Y/N].  
"Thanks, sweetheart." Dean said standing and wrapping his arms around [Y/N], pulling her in for a deep kiss. He pulled away when he felt little hands tugging on the hem of his shirt.  
"De! De!" Tommy held up his gift bag, having refused to let [Y/N] wrap it as Tommy wanted to do it himself, and putting the box in a gift bag was more at his skill level. "De! Open!"  
"OK, buddy, OK!" Dean chuckled as he accepted the toddler's offering and sat back in his chair. He peered into the bag, his eyes widening. "No freakin' way!" Dean pulled out a box emblazoned with the Batmobile and the Dark Knight himself. "This is awesome! Thanks, little dude."  
"De!" Tommy pulled himself up on Dean's lap, with a little assistance from the hunter. The boy wrapped his arms around Dean's neck. "Love Dada De!"  
Everyone stared at Dean and Tommy, no one saying a word. Dean stared down at the toddler for a moment, his shock evident to all in the room. An instant later Dean grinned and hugged the boy tightly, making Tommy laugh. "Love you, too, Tommy."  
"I guess Tommy wins the award for the best present." [Y/N] laughed as she started slicing the pie and handing plates the Castiel to pass around.  
"I don't know, [Y/N]." Sam moved beside her as she handed him a piece. "Dean knows about what you have in your closet. "  
"Why the Hell do you know about it?" [Y/N] gasped, mortified as she stared at Sam with wide eyes.  
"Dean was bragging, and he was really excited. But I don't know what it actually is." Sam hastily added, his voice low as he backed away. "And I don't wanna know!"  
[Y/N] shook her head and softly chuckled as she watched Dean cuddled the toddler on his lap while chatting with Sam, Castiel, and Jack. "Happy birthday, Dean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't let Dean's 40 birthday go unobserved. So, yay, random story. Next story will be a Sam story, when ever I get that posted. Thanks for being patient with me!


End file.
